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(CNN) -- Kerry Morgan was just 3 years old when she participated in her first clinical trial for type 1 diabetes prevention. She didn't have the disease, but her 7-year old sister did and there was concern that she might develop it, too. During the trial she was given one shot of insulin a day in the hope that it would stave off the disease, but a year later, she was officially diagnosed. "I remember a lot of things changed." Morgan said. "I went from having juice every day and M&Ms to not having sugar at all. I remember getting shots every day, finger pricks, my parents had to hold me down." School, she says was difficult. "You had to let teachers know what was going on. You had a special relationship with the nurse because she had to check your blood sugar every day before going to lunch." At 14 she entered a second trial, this one at the University of Virginia, for a continuous glucose monitoring system called The Navigator. It was at UVA that she first learned about the artificial pancreas. A high school senior at 18 now, she has participated in four clinical trials and two have involved artificial pancreas systems. "It was awesome. I've never done anything quite like it before. For the two days that I was on the artificial pancreas I experienced normalcy. I wasn't checking myself every five seconds and giving myself insulin because it was doing it for me." In type 1 diabetics, the pancreas makes very little or no insulin, a hormone that controls glucose levels, or the amount of sugar in your blood. Patients must constantly check their levels throughout the day, determine how much insulin they need to lower their blood sugar and administer the proper amount using a pump or syringe. Drops or spikes in blood sugar can be extremely dangerous. If the level is too low -- a condition called hypoglycemia -- patients can experience shakiness, confusion, trouble speaking, seizures, even coma and death. A level that is too high -- hyperglycemia -- can cause excessive thirst, frequent urination and cardiac arrhythmia. Left untreated, hyperglycemia can lead to a number of serious complications including vision loss and nerve damage. An artificial pancreas mimics the glucose regulating function of a healthy pancreas. The automated device features a sensor that's placed under the skin that measures blood sugar. Information from this continuous glucose monitor is sent to a receiver and an insulin pump delivers insulin in controlled amounts. A glucose meter calibrates the sensor. Sophisticated software checks the blood sugar in the body and automatically provides the correct dose of insulin needed at the right time. "When you have diabetes, every second you're thinking about your blood sugar," says Morgan. "You're wondering if you're high, if you're low, if you're OK, if you're giving yourself enough insulin, if you're not giving yourself enough insulin. With the artificial pancreas it takes that worry away because it's doing it for you. It lets you know if something's wrong. That way you're not always worrying about your blood sugar." The device has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In June the agency issued a draft guidance seeking input from the industry and researchers on an early version of the artificial pancreas, called the low glucose suspend system. It's a backup for diabetics experiencing hypoglycemia. Patients still have to monitor their levels and give themselves insulin if necessary, but the low glucose suspend system temporarily reduces or stops the insulin flow in the event of an episode. There are two types: A reactive low glucose suspend system that stops insulin infusion when a predetermined level has been reached, and a predictive low glucose suspend system that anticipates a hypoglycemic event based on the current blood sugar level and how fast those levels are falling. Dr. Charles Zimliki chairs the FDA's Artificial Pancreas Critical Path Initiative and he is a type 1 diabetic. Testifying before a Senate committee in June, he said the FDA is committed to seeing the device come to market but is proceeding with caution. "While the potential benefits are enormous, an artificial pancreas system is considered a significant-risk device, meaning it presents a potential for serious risk to the health, safety or welfare of a patient. If not properly designed, use of an artificial pancreas device in an outpatient setting can place patients at significant risk, because the device controls the administration of insulin without the oversight of health care professionals." The FDA is expected to release new guidance for future generations of the artificial pancreas systems on December 1. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation has been working closely with the FDA on the artificial pancreas. It says low glucose suspend systems have been in use in more than 40 countries for the last 2½ years and the process in the United States is taking much too long. "Here in the U.S. we're now almost three years behind and the first study to test these systems is just going to launch in the next month, which means it's going to be another year or so before patients even have access," said Aaron Kowalski, assistant vice president of treatment therapies for the foundation. "What JDRF is advocating for is to ensure that people here in the U.S. have access to these tools in a timely manner." The FDA says other countries have different regulatory systems in place that do not require the same safety and effectiveness data for a product of this level of risk. Tom Brobson, a 51-year-old Christmas tree farmer and the national director for donor relations at JDRF was diagnosed eight years ago with type 1 diabetes. "I think they're getting hung up on better when good enough can do the job. You can't get better until it's out there being used. We know that technology isn't perfect, but what we're talking about are significant improvements and enhancements over what we have today that can significantly reduce the daily burden of living with this disease, improve quality of lives and save lives." Brobson has been participating in artificial pancreas clinical trials at UVA since 2007. "It's been awesome, fantastic, frankly everything I could ever imagine it to be and then some," he says. "The open question for me was could a computer system using off-the-shelf technologies do a better job of controlling my blood sugar than I was already doing for myself and the answer turned out to be overwhelmingly yes." Without it, Brobson says he has to spend every minute managing his diabetes. "I have to be my own pancreas 24 hours a day. Last thing at night, first thing in the morning and often in the middle of the night. When the artificial pancreas took over, that was a real power moment. It kept me perfect from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. When the artificial pancreas took over moment to moment when it was actively assisting me in the management of my disease, it was a life changing moment and it was life changing because I didn't have to think about my diabetes every moment of the day." Dr. Michelle Magee is an endocrinologist and director of the MedStar Diabetes Institute at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. "The data from other countries showed that the system could be used safely and effectively. It's been somewhat disappointing that it has taken so long to get approval here." She says the long awaited system offers hope to patients. "For people with type 1 diabetes, the artificial pancreas has been kind of the holy grail of technology to support self management of diabetes. It's not going to cure it, but it's going to be a huge step in the right direction. Once it's approved and can be used it will be fantastic." According to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, about 80 people a day are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Approximately 3 million Americans are living with the disease. Most of them only have healthy blood sugars 30% of the day. The foundation says it has spent $1.5 billion on diabetes research, $40 million of that on research on artificial pancreas systems. "Our goal is to drive the development of artificial pancreas systems," Kowalski said. "This could not only improve tremendously glucose control, and help reduce the risk of these terrible diabetes complications, it could also help people with diabetes live easier. The bottom line is diabetes is a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week, 365 day a year job and if we can make some of that easier that would be a huge step forward." Morgan agrees. "I think it's superimportant, I think next to having a cure for diabetes it's the big thing. Because it's such an instrumental piece of equipment it can allow you to live closer to what we consider normal than anything that we have now."
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With Type 1 diabetics, the pancreas makes very little or no insulin .
Artificial pancreas mimics the glucose regulating function of a healthy pancreas .
Device has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration .
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(CNN) -- In an age when many people become celebrities through looks or connections, Jennifer Hudson's rise to fame came the old-fashioned way: through talent, hard work and a close-knit family. Jennifer Hudson is in a new movie, "The Secret Life of Bees," and recently released her first solo album. At a time when the singer is in a new movie, "The Secret Life of Bees," and recently released her first solo album, Hudson is now back in the public eye largely due to a family tragedy. Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were found shot to death Friday in their Chicago home. The body of the singer's missing 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was found in an SUV on Monday morning. Julian's stepfather, William Balfour, was detained over the weekend for questioning in connection with the case, a police spokesperson told CNN. He was subsequently transferred to prison on a parole violation charge, the spokesperson said. Balfour's mother has acknowledged that her son has been questioned about the shootings, but said he had nothing to do with the crime. No charges had been filed against anyone in connection with the murders. iReport.com: Reaction to Hudson family tragedy . The tragedy is a sad turn for the 27-year-old actress and singer, who first earned national notice for her performances on "American Idol" in 2004 and won an Oscar for best supporting actress for 2006's "Dreamgirls." Hudson's singing career began in her church choir in the South Side Chicago neighborhood of Englewood when she was a child. She remained devoted to singing all the way through Chicago's Dunbar Vocational High School, where there is now a Jennifer Hudson Room. (She's in good company; Dunbar's alumni include Lou Rawls and two of the Staple Singers.) "People would say it was unusual for such a small girl to have such a big voice," she told Reuters in 2006. "They would say, 'She sounds like she's grown.' " After finishing school, she performed in the musical "Big River" at a Chicago-area dinner theater and took a job on a cruise line. In 2003, she auditioned for "American Idol" in Atlanta, Georgia, and managed to earn her way to the top-rated show with a performance of "Easy to be Hard," the "Hair" ballad popularized by Three Dog Night. "Idol" proved to be an uneven experience for Hudson. After the show narrowed down its 12 finalists, she started slowly, at times almost being voted off, but eventually her song choices -- including Elton John's "Circle of Life" and Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" -- made her one of the favorites. Sir Elton himself believed she was the "best of the lot." 'Idol' friend speaks out about Hudson case . In the end, Hudson didn't even come close to making "Idol's" final two, being voted off midway in the show's run. However, her performances had established her as a talent to watch, and in May 2005 -- several months after finishing the traditional post-"Idol" group tour -- she was contacted by a casting agency about the part of Effie, the tragic soul of "Dreamgirls." In the musical, which concerns an all-girl trio much like the Supremes, Effie is a weight-challenged musical powerhouse who begins as the group's leader but is dropped as both performer and lover by the group's manager for the more statuesque singer Deena. The role features the musical's showstopping song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," and won Jennifer Holliday a Tony Award when "Dreamgirls" ran on Broadway. Hudson was unfamiliar with "Dreamgirls" when she auditioned, but she allegedly beat out almost 800 other women for the role -- including her former "Idol" rival, Fantasia Barrino, who had been the third-season winner. The role's high-pitched emotions were a challenge, Hudson told the Chicago Sun-Times in 2006. "I had to find a way into it," she said to the newspaper. "[Director] Bill Condon sent me into 'Diva 101.' He told me I was too nice. So I'd come into the room angry, but tell all the ADs, 'Bill told me to do this. This is Effie and not Jennifer.' I had to learn how to separate myself from the character with that attitude. That was Bill's main concern. Effie had to have that edge." Her performance won her across-the-board raves. Variety compared her turn to Barbra Streisand's award-winning debut in "Funny Girl," among others. It also led to a host of awards, including supporting actress honors from the New York Critics Circle, Golden Globes, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and -- finally -- the Academy Awards. At the Oscar show, Hudson tearfully thanked her grandmother, whom she described as her "biggest inspiration." Julia Kate Hudson, who sang at Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church, where Hudson got her start, died in 1998. Since winning the Oscar, Hudson has been a mainstay of celebrity magazines, which have broadcast news of her engagement to "I Love New York 2" contestant David Otunga, regularly singled her out as an example of a healthy plus-sized body type and held her up as an "Idol" made good. She's continued her movie career with performances in "Sex and the City: The Movie" and "The Secret Life of Bees," both of which came out in 2008. She sang the national anthem at the Democratic National Convention in August at the personal request of Sen. Barack Obama's campaign. According to many reports, Hudson has remained humble amid all the attention. She remains devoted to the church -- "Church is where I'm from. It will always be my favorite place to sing, and that's where I'd like to go back to," Hudson told the Sun-Times -- and uses her against-all-odds biography to inspire others. "I've had a similar journey as Effie," Hudson told the Sun-Times. "Me being a part of 'Idol,' her being part of the group. ... We both go through our journeys, trying to hold on to our dream and achieve our goal. We have hardships, but we prevail at the end."
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Jennifer Hudson's rise to fame came the old-fashioned way .
Hudson's mother, brother, nephew found dead in Chicago, Illinois .
Singer beat out more than 800 other women for role in "Dreamgirls"
Hudson's first national recognition came on "American Idol"
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A doctor with terminal cancer plans to tweet from her deathbed so people can understand what the experience is like. Dr Kate Granger, 31, went through five rounds of chemotherapy after her diagnosis in July 2011 and was told she was unlikely to live longer than five years. But the sessions left her so ill she decided to stop receiving treatment and concentrate on enjoying a good quality of life with her family and friends. Last week, the elderly care specialist asked her 3,200 Twitter followers: 'Any suggestions for an appropriate # for me to use when eventually I am actively popping my clogs & live tweeting the experience?' Kate Granger and her husband Chris Pointon pictured on their wedding day in 2005. Dr Kate Granger plans to tweet until her last so that people can understand what the experience is like . Since her diagnosis, Dr Granger, from Wakefield, found that dark humour helped her and husband Chris Pointon to cope with their situation. Suggestions from her followers included: '#deathbedlive, #finalcountdown, #exfactor, #onedieseveryminute, #goinggoinggone' and '#toinfinityandbeyond'. Some asked her if she was serious about her tweeting plans, to which she said she was 'deadly' so. 'I thought it would be quite interesting for everyone to understand more about what the experience is like for me,' she told the Daily Telegraph. 'If my tweets about my death and what I’m going through make one person talk to their loved one about what they would do that’s a good thing. 'Positivity and humour help me get through the day and deal with what I’m going through.' Dr Granger hopes that tweeting from her deathbed will help people understand what the experience is like . After her tweets, she published a blogpost entitled 'Dying - can it ever be a laughing matter?' She . wrote: 'Don’t get me wrong, I definitely wasn’t making jokes on day one . but soon after I started to use humour to help me get through the day. 'Some . people around me were shocked by this attitude and language at first, . but it’s amazing how infectious it is and how it normalises this huge . life event that is approaching for me.' Dr . Granger, who returned to work at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield . after treatment, has written a book about her illness, which was . serialised in the Daily Mail last year. She was diagnosed in August 2011 after she began suffering pains on the right side of her back while on holiday in the U.S. Kate on holiday with husband Chris. She hopes tweeting help other people talk to their loved ones about their dying wishes . When . she returned, her husband took her to A&E where tests revealed a . huge mass in her abdomen and pelvis, some of which encased her ureters — . the tubes connecting the kidneys and bladder. She was diagnosed with a desmoplastic . small round cell tumour - an aggressive and rare tumor that primarily . occurs as masses in the abdomen. In one extract from The Other Side, the proceeds of which go to the Yorkshire Cancer Centre, she said her illness had made her a better doctor. She wrote: 'It’s made . me realise how important the little things are — holding a patient’s . hand, sitting down with them and not standing over them, communicating . news in a compassionate way and explaining the impact on them to their . families.' Dr Kate Granger says that black humour helps her cope with her illness . In January, she wrote again in the Mail how she had decided not to have any more treatment. She described the misery of spending New Year's Eve in hospital with an infection and decided the 'burdens' of treatment outweighed the benefits. She wrote: 'Although upset, I feel quite peaceful. I’ve got much further with the treatment than I ever expected to. Chris accepts my decision. A few friends and family have said they think I’m giving up too soon — but I’m choosing to take control of how I live. I just want my old life back, even for a couple of months.' She also described how, 'as a control freak', she had planned every detail of her funeral such as the music, poems, prayers and dress code. 'I’ve written letters and cards to Chris up to his 70th birthday. I am now writing letters to other close family.' She also returned to work, saying: 'I am in pain but so pleased to be at work. If patients ask, I tell them I have cancer, otherwise I never mention it. 'Having cancer has changed me. It’s made me realise how important the little things are — holding a patient’s hand, sitting down with them and not standing over them, communicating news in a compassionate way and explaining the impact on them to their families. 'I wrote this diary in the dark hours of my hospital stays. I want it to be in every medical school and hope my colleagues read it and think about how they practise medicine. 'Meanwhile, Chris and I are working through my bucket list — experiences I want to have while there’s still time. We renewed our wedding vows in April, had tea at The Savoy, have been to Paris and we’re going to Barcelona. 'I am blessed with my life — I have a job, husband and close family who I love very much, and I hope I’ve made a difference. Yes, I’m going to die but I’ve had time to prepare for this — I’m luckier than most.'
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Dr Kate Granger was diagnosed with terminal cancer aged 29 .
She hopes that tweeting will help people to understand death .
Hashtag suggestions included '#deathbedlive' and '#onedieseveryminute'
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Diego Costa believes top sides cannot leave the smallest stone unturned in football nowadays if they are to win matches. The Chelsea striker has started his career at Stamford Bridge with a bang scoring nine goals in as many appearances since his £32million switch from Atletico Madrid in the summer. Costa's form has been mirrored by the Blues' start to the season that sees them leading the Premier League by four points after nine games. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Jose Mourinho praises Diego Costa's incredible goal record (archive) Diego Costa has hailed Chelsea's attention to detail before matches as a key reason to their success . Costa has scored nine goals in as many appearances for the Blues since joining the club in the summer . The Stamford Bridge outfit also sit top of Group G in the UEFA Champions League and Costa has pinpointed their success to the level of detail the squad are prepared for before matches. 'Top teams nowadays are pretty much on a level playing field and you need to be super careful about every tiny detail of the contest because any single one of them could make the difference.' he told the latest Champions League Magazine. 'Chelsea is packed full of skilful players and if those of us up front become the first line of defence and help protect the rest of the team, then we are doing an important job,' he added. Diego Costa was speaking to latest issue of the Champions League Magazine which is on sale now . 'Since I was a kid I've always had a fierce hunger for victory inside me. I've always hated losing. 'Defeat can be useful for you if - and only if - you draw important lessons from it. My hunger to win is one of my fundamental assets. If one day I lose that desire then I'll not be useful any more.' The 26-year-old enjoyed a stellar campaign at Atletico last season helping the club lift their first La Liga title in 18 years. Costa played an integral part in Diego Simeone's side scoring 35 goals in all competitions last season as the club also finished runners-up in the Champions League to bitter rivals Real Madrid. Despite this though, Costa is happy with his decision to move to Chelsea this summer - revealing that playing in the Premier League was something he had always wanted to try. 'I was extremely happy at Atletico and the last year when we achieved so much was the best year of my career as a footballer. 'However, you always try to improve your life. The opportunity to join this tremendously important club came and while Atleti is a great team, this was a different league, one I'd always wanted to try. 'People always used to say that my game would fit the Premier League perfectly and so the opportunity to sign for an extremely famous club like Chelsea made me super-excited. 'I have to keep on working hard. I still have many years ahead of me in my career so I hope I will be able to play in another Champions League final - to have another opportunity to win this competition.' Costa (left) scored 35 goals as Atletico Madrid won their first La Liga title in 18 years last season . The full interview appears in Champions - the Official Magazine of the UEFA Champions League - on sale now.
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Diego Costa joined Chelsea for £32million from Atletico Madrid in July .
Costa has scored nine goals in nine appearances for the Blues so far .
26-year-old attributes Chelsea's early-season form due to their preparation .
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Match of the Day Two presenter Mark Chapman on Sunday night moved to clarify why the BBC had not shown Bradford's FA Cup giant killing against Sunderland live on TV. The Bantams knocked out another Premier League club following their 4-2 win over Chelsea in the fourth round to book their place in the last eight of the competition. But the BBC came in for criticism because the 2-0 win against Gus Poyet's side was one of only three fifth-round ties not to feature on live TV, either on the BBC or BT Sport. Mark Chapman confirmed on Match of the Day Two that Bradford was not selected for TV because the BBC had to choose the live games before their opponents were known . Bradford goalscorer Jon Stead joked during his post-match interview that the fifth-round tie against Sunderland should have been shown on TV . Bradford striker Jon Stead joked during his post-match interview for BBC that the game at Valley Parade was 'a great cup tie' and that it 'should have been on the TV', a comment that left the interviewer lost for words. Back in the studio Chapman revealed the reason why Chelsea's conquerors from the previous round had not been shown live, despite the opportunity of another upset being on the cards. 'I do have an answer on that subject,' the presenter said. 'And it comes from the BBC football management who say the following: "They had to pick their live games before the replays were played in the fourth round and therefore couldn’t be sure who Bradford would be at home to. If they had been allowed to wait they would have chosen it".' Gary Lineker and Mark Chapam were subject to a cheeky tweet from Bradford City following their FA Cup win . Match of the Day 2 presenter Mark Chapman was also targeted by Bradford's cheeky tweet . Sunderland needed a replay to beat Championship side Fulham in the fourth round and the BBC had to select the live games before the tie was decided, with the corporation instead opting to show the all Premier League clash between Aston Villa and Leicester. Gary Lineker had earlier claimed the BBC would have screened Bradford's fifth-round clash had their opponents been known prior to the fourth-round replays. And the League One side didn't let him forget it by posting a cheeky tweet aimed at Lineker and Chapham following the Sunderland win. The presenter tweeted: 'The BBC can only show 2 ties in each round and select them pre replays. If they could've waited Bradford would obviously have been chosen.' Billy Clarke (centre) fires Bradord ahead with the help of a deflection during their victory over Sunderland . Jon Stead (right) seals the tie with a neat finish to complete the FA Cup fifth round giant killing . Bradford fans made their feelings known during the match, causing embarrassment for one veteran BBC presenter. Look North stalwart Harry Gration tweeted: 'I am in trouble. Filmed singing are you watching BBC. Sorry'. Lineker led the BBC's coverage from Villa Park as the home side held on for a 2-1 victory in a match that only came to life in the final stages. The poor fare on offer prompted Match of the Day presenter Mark Chapman to write on Twitter: 'We're debating whether this goes last on tonight's £Motd or whether we leave it off altogether.' Phil Parkinson was the mastermind of yet another cup shock with Bradford City at the Valley Parade . Gus Poyet looks on after seeing his side embarrassed at the hands of the League One outfit .
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Mark Chapman confirmed the reason why Bradford's giant killing against Sunderland was not shown live on TV .
Bradford City tweeted Gary Lineker and Mark Chapman following their FA Cup fifth-round victory over Premier League side Sunderland .
The Match of the Day presenter insists that the tie would of been shown live if the BBC had known their opponents prior to the decision .
The Bantams comfortably beat Gus Poyet's side 2-0 at the Valley Parade .
Click here for all the latest football news .
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By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 08:46 EST, 22 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:53 EST, 22 November 2012 . The biggest penguins alive today: An Emperor Penguin stands on sea ice near McMurdo Station, Antarctica. They can reach heights of 3ft 11in tall . A penguin that stood taller than most men waddled across the southern hemisphere millions of years ago, scientists say. Argentine experts have discovered the fossils of a 6ft 6in (2m) tall penguin that lived in prehistoric Antarctica 34million years ago. Paleontologists with the Natural Sciences Museum of La Plata province, near the capital Buenos Aires, said the remains were found on the icy southern continent. 'This is the largest penguin known to date in terms of height and body mass,' said researcher Carolina Acosta. The modern day record is held by emperor penguins, which reach heights of about 3ft 11in. Lead . researcher Marcelo Reguero added that the find will 'allow for a more . intensive and complex study of the ancestors of modern penguins.' The . previous record for the tallest prehistoric penguins had been held by a . five foot tall bird discovered in Peru two years ago and nicknamed the Water King. The Water King, . which lived more than 36million years ago, was found by a Peruvian student in the Paracas Reserve on Peru's eastern coastline. Like . the latest find, it lived at a time half way between the end of the . dinosaurs and the modern day when the Earth was much warmer than now and . when when gigantic prehistoric birds and mammals roamed the world. As the UK divorce rate continues to soar, a new study has today shown how marital harmony is thriving in the penguin world. Research has revealed a pair of Magellanic penguins as among the most faithful in the animal kingdom. The couple have remained loyal to each other over a 16-year period, in spite of spending thousands of miles apart during their winter trips. The findings come after a 30-year study of the breed where researchers placed metal identity bands on the flippers of 50,000 birds on the southern coast of Argentina. But unlike the Antarctic bird, and their modern day descendants, the flightless bird lived in the tropics - where it dived into warm seas using a seven-inch long spear-like beak to hunt for fish. In its next expedition to Antarctica, during the region’s summer, the Argentine team will hunt for more fossils of the newly discovered species. They hope to gather more information about its anatomy and how the giant penguin might have moved. All the giant penguins that once roamed the prehistoric earth died out, leaving behind the smaller varieties which are today found only on the Antarctic. Previous finds from prehistoric penguins indicated they did not sport the iconic black and white feathers the birds are known for today, but had reddish-brown and grey plumage.
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Palaeontologists discovered fossils of the flightless bird in Antarctica .
New find beats previous record for biggest penguin by a foot and a half .
The biggest penguins today are Emperor penguins, which reach four foot .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 20:33 EST, 14 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 06:18 EST, 15 January 2014 . When triathlete Tracy Barnes learned she had made the cut for the U.S. Olympic team, she turned and winked at her twin sister Lanny. After getting sick during the final qualifying races in Ridnaun, Italy, Lanny Barnes thought her Olympic dreams were over after she was the final competitor eliminated and assumed her sister was telling her she would race for her in Sochi. Both biathletes, from Colorado, have been to the Olympics before - Lanny has been to the previous two Winter Olympics, and Tracy made the team back in 2006. It was only later on a walk in the Italian Alps that Tracy told her what was really happening: She would give up her spot on the team so Lanny, a three-time Olympian who finished just behind her, would qualify for the team and compete in Sochi instead. Stand by your sister: Tracy Barnes (right) has given up her spot on the US Olympic team for the Sochi Winter Games to her twin sister Lanny (left) In a beautiful statement that explains her decision, Tracy Barnes said her twin sister Lanny deserved a second chance after failing to make the Winter Olympics team. Tracy said her sibling was having a 'stellar season' before falling ill and that she is honored to be able to help her . Tracy Barnes competes in the Womens Biathlon 15km Individual Final at the Turin Winter Olympic Games in 2006. She has stepped down from her place in the current Olympic team and given it to her twin, Lanny . 'She is my hero and this only shows true . selflessness and the Olympic spirit,' Lanny Barnes, 32, of Durango said . via email from Italy. 'This has motivated me even more to not only represent my country but to represent her as well.' Tracy Barnes, who barely missed qualifying for the 2010 Olympics, was returning home from Italy and couldn't be reached for comment. In a statement released by the team, Tracy Barnes said her sister had had a stellar season before falling ill and she wanted to give her a second chance. 'And as the old saying goes ...''Only the strong will survive'',' she said in the statement. 'Most of the time, that is the case. 'On occasion the strong don't survive for whatever reason. And that is what I feel happened to Lanny. 'She's having a stellar season and she bound to do great things this year, but she fell ill during the trials and couldn't race. Tracy Barnes (left) watches twin sister Lanny Barnes take aim near Molas Pass in Colorado. The twins mother says Tracy is ready for something else in her life . 'Because of that she didn't make the team. While most people would say..''that's biathlon, or that's life'' - and they'd be absolutely correct in saying that - but what if that person who was hit with a little bit of bad luck got a second chance? 'What if someone believed in them enough to give them that chance? Well, that's what I did. Easy decision. 'Lanny is my best friend and my teammate. 'I see how hard she works on a daily basis, so I know firsthand that she is deserving of a spot on the Olympic Team.' The twins' mother, Deb Barnes, told The Durango Herald that Tracy's motivation to go to the Olympics had waned in the last year. She is married to Durango Nordic race team coach Gary Colliander, and her mother said they haven't been able to spend much time together because of her heavy travel schedule. 'Tracy is just ready for other things,' Deb Barnes told the newspaper.
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Biathletes and twin sisters Tracy and Lanny Barnes, 31, have both been to the Olympics .
During the finals for the U.S. Olympic team in Italy, Tracy made the cut but Lanny was the final competitor eliminated .
Lanny had become sick and could only compete in one of the four finals .
Tracy declined her spot on the team and gave it to her sister, saying Lanny was having a stellar season and that she was honored to be able to help .
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By . Associated Press and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:30 EST, 2 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:13 EST, 3 December 2012 . A toddler's death during a visit with his father on October 21 in Virginia is prompting police to also more closely investigate the suicide of the man's mother and the shooting death of a onetime girlfriend in the past decade. Fifteen-month-old Prince McLeod Rams died during a three-hour, unsupervised visit with his father, Joaquin S. Rams of Manassas, police said. Manassas Police spokesman Lowell Nevill said that led police to further probe the 2008 suicide of Joaquin Rams' mother and the 2003 shooting death of his ex-girlfriend Shawn K. Mason. Prince McLeod Rams died during unsupervised time with his father Joaquin Rams on October 21. Police are now looking into the suicide of Rams' mother and shooting of his ex-girlfriend. The boy's mother, Hera McLeod, said the system failed to protect the boy after she fought vehemently to prevent the unsupervised visits, which were ordered by a judge in Maryland. Authorities have not yet determined how the boy died, and Rams has not been charged with a crime. But McLeod said the unusual confluence of deaths is not easily explained. 'Either he's the most unlucky bastard on this planet, or he's a killer,' said McLeod, who fled the relationship with her one-time fiance about two weeks after Prince was born. Joaquin Rams did not answer calls to his cellphone. His attorney also did not return calls seeking comment. Hera McLeod, the mother of Prince McLeod Rams, said Joaquin Rams was 'either the most unlucky b*****d on this planet, or he's a killer.' Hera McLeod said she has been given only a little information about her son's injuries. But she said the hospital called child protective services because of suspicious injuries, including dried blood in his nose and a bruise on his forehead. During a custody hearing for Prince Rams in March, investigators testified Joaquin Rams is a suspect in the killing of Mason, 22, who was shot in the head in her Manassas condo in 2003. In 2008, Rams' mother, Alma Collins, was found dead. Prince William County Police at the time ruled the death a suicide. While Manassas police say all the investigations remain a high priority, Prince William County police spokesman Jonathan Perok said investigators have so far not found anything to indicate Collins' death was not a suicide. But her son Joseph Velez - Joaquin Rams' half brother - said it makes no sense that his mother would have killed herself and said he has been interviewed by police investigating whether his mother's death was a homicide. 'My mother in her life never had a history of depression,' Velez said. He described his half brother as 'a monster,' describing how even at age 3, his younger brother attacked him on the head with a hammer he had hidden behind his back as he feigned a request for a kiss. Like Hera McLeod, Velez expressed frustration at police who failed to make a case in the slaying of Shawn Mason. Hera McLeod was a contestant on CBS show The Amazing Race in 2004 . And Alma Collins' sister, Elva Caraballo of Tarpon Springs, Fla., said she tried to tell Prince William County police of her suspicions about Collins' death, but detectives wouldn't return her phone calls. The most recent death occurred Oct. 21, when Hera McLeod turned over her young son to Joaquin Rams. Hera McLeod won custody of the boy in Montgomery County, Md., court. But the judge granted Rams visitation - first supervised, and then unsupervised. McLeod, an intelligence analyst who once was a contestant on the CBS reality competition 'The Amazing Race,' said she does not understand why the judge ignored her concerns for her son's safety. This was accompanied by evidence of Joaquin Rams' lack of fitness as a father: his involvement in running an online pornography business; the testimony from the Manassas detective that Rams is a suspect in his ex-girlfriend's killing; and a sexual encounter between Rams, 40, and a woman who said Rams raped her when she was 19. Rams said it was consensual. The Associated Press does not identify people who claim to be victims of sexual assault. In making his custody and visitation rulings, the judge said the suspicions about the deaths of Collins and Mason were no concern to him, describing it as 'smoke that's been blown that I can see through.' Hera McLeod said she wants to expose what went wrong and led to her son's death. 'I knew how bad this could get. ... If the laws are not designed to protect children, then they need to be changed,' she wrote about the custody ruling on a blog she maintains. 'In my son's case, it appears as though death was the only threshold for denial of visitation.' The Montgomery County Courthouse in Maryland, where a judge gave unsupervised visitation rights to Joaquin Rams .
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15-month-old boy dies during unsupervised visit to his father, Joaquin Rams .
Police now reinvestigating the suicide of the man's mother in 2008 and shooting of ex-girlfriend in 2003 .
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By . Ruth Styles . PUBLISHED: . 08:53 EST, 19 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:03 EST, 20 June 2013 . For most of us slimming down for summer means calorie counting and plenty of exercise. But if you've left it a little late, Diet Slimming Perfume could be just the ticket. According to the makers of the £24.99 fragrance, a slim figure could be as little as five sniffs away thanks to appetite killing ingredients such as seaweed. It is also packed with weight-loss boosting herbs and boasts a fresh citrus top note to keep you smelling sweet while you slim. Trim: Diet Slimming Perfume might just be the weight loss quick fix you've been searching for . Bizarre though it might sound, Diet Slimming Perfume isn't the first of its kind. Last year, French company, Velds, released 'Prends Moi', which claimed to help dieters 'slim with pleasure'. According to Velds, the perfume's 'slimming complex' - formulated with caffeine, carnitine and spirulina extract - kickstarts weight loss. What's more, they added, trials on non-dieting women aged between 18 and 70 years old revealed that three quarters felt the perfume limited the need to snack, while 73 per cent enjoyed wearing it. Diet Slimming Perfume, while made with a different combination of herbs, is also claimed to suppress appetite while also improving the mood and boosting the metabolism. Vee Koppelman, founder of beauty supplies site, VZ Hair and Glamour said: 'Diet Slimming Perfume is a fantastic new product for dieters and those keen to lose a few pounds before baring all on the beach or at a summer wedding. 'It is completely natural and the benefits it offers are incredible, from improving circulation and boosting the immune system, to providing a natural antioxidant which detoxes the body.' Slimming: The new Diet Slimming Perfume (left) and its predecessor, Prends Moi by French company Veld's . But not everyone is impressed with the concept of sniffing your way to slimness, with personal trainers warning that results won't last. Jéan LK of Timed-Fitness London said: 'Appetite suppressants have been a popular weight loss tool for years in a pill form but this is the first I have seen as a perfume. 'Although stopping yourself feeling hungry and boosting your metabolism would result in weight loss, the key to sustainable weight loss is adopting a healthy life style through good nutrition and exercise. 'Though the ingredients may have the effect of suppressing hunger I don't think this is a viable solution.'
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Diet Slimming Perfume claims to help shift pounds quickly .
Its herbs and essential oils boost the metabolism and suppress appetite .
The fragrance also has light citrus top notes to keep you smelling fresh .
Fitness experts dismiss it as a viable slimming solution .
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By . Olivia Williams . PUBLISHED: . 13:14 EST, 24 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:52 EST, 25 August 2013 . Taking inspiration direct from her garden talented graphic designer Tang Chiew Ling uses leaves to create imaginative fashion figures. The 24-year-old from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, says that the key to her work is making 'simple and fun' art that she can conjour up out of everyday objects. The result is an offbeat but elegant set of mixed media drawings. Elegant: Audrey Hepburn dressed in three strategically placed leaves by graphic designer Tang Chiew Ling . Chic: Withered leaves get a new lease of life as 50 of them are arranged to make a ballgown and fascinator . Natural: The works are delicately constructed based on the form of the leaves and how Tang Chiew Ling can piece them together . The Fashion in Leaves drawings are only her second personal project, but they cleverly use the shape and colour of the leaves to create variation. Her collages even use withered leaves to great effect, making ballgowns and evening dresses out of decaying brown leaves. She said that she found some of them in the garden and rescued others from a drain near her house. One particularly recognisable model in her work is Audrey Hepburn, whose look she managed to recreate using only three leaves. Living dress: The decay of the leaves give this outfit an attractive range of brown and green shades . Model figure: Just using two long leaves, she has created a distinct fashion look . Autumnal: The withering state of some designs shows cleverly provides a variety of dresses and give a sense of growth and decay .
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Malaysian graphic designer Tang Chiew Ling uses leaves foraged from her garden to create imaginative designs .
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Al Qaeda has released the latest edition of its English-language propaganda magazine advising would-be militants on how to torch parked cars and cause traffic accidents. The Islamist movement's most active branch Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, published the tenth edition of its glossy quarterly called Inspire on militant websites this month. Along with tips on terrorism, it also warns France to pull back from Mali and lists 11 public figures in the West, including author Salman Rushdie, who it says are 'wanted dead or alive for crimes against Islam' and carries articles commemorating 'martyrs' who have died for its cause. Issue 8 of Inspire magazine, released in 2011, was full of bomb-making tips and propaganda . AQAP, based in the impoverished, lawless state of Yemen, has previously plotted to bring down international airliners. It is seen by Western governments as a danger to oil-producing Gulf states and major crude shipment routes. In a section entitled 'open source jihad', the magazine gives tips on how to set fire to parked cars, including advice such as 'don't get petrol on yourself', and suggests spilling oil on road bends to cause crashes. An editorial in the magazine warned France to end its military intervention in Mali, citing the U.S. experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq, which it said made 'them bite their fingertips in regret'. The magazine also called on militants to attack 11 public figures in the West, including Rushdie, whose 1988 novel The Satanic Verses was seen by many Muslims as blasphemous. Among others are Dutch politician Geert Wilders and Canadian-Somalian activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, both strong critics of Islam, and U.S. pastor Terry Jones, who staged a public burning of copies of the Koran. Dangerous: The magazine contains tips on terrorism, including how to fire a gun . The magazine is published by the Islamist movement's most active branch Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP . The contents page of issue 8 shows the magazine carries a series of articles including a letter from the editor section . In a prominent feature, titled 'No Parking! Are There Any Safe Parking Lots Out There,' an author identified as Ibnul Irhab lays out step-by-step procedures for lighting multiple cars in the same, vacant parking lot ablaze, turning it into a massive explosion. 'The West should taste some burning. They should pay for bombarding and burning our Muslim brothers and sisters’ homes and our Holy (Koran). For burning down forests, plantations and houses, please refer to Issue 9,' the author writes. 'All you need is cooking oil, this tip-sheet says, to wreak havoc on a curvy highway. 'Today we have something new for you, VEHICLES. Vehicle are easy to torch. And the easy part is, vehicles need to be parked somewhere, right? How safe is that somewhere, especially in deserted areas? How much more safe will the West feel parking their vehicles, when they know they’re up for a TORCHING.' Propaganda: A page from issue 8 of Inspire, showing a 'convoy of martyrs' The issue also carried an article on remote control detonation, giving details instructions on how to set off a bomb . Irhab's specific instructions for carrying out the horrific plot include, 'find a deserted parked car,' 'avoid CCTV cameras or areas where people can see you' and, of course, 'pour the petrol on the vehicle(s), do not forget the tires. You can pour a line away from the vehicle.' Another terrifying feature titled 'Causing Road Accidents,' by an author identified only by the alias AQ Chef, outlines how, 'following simple instructions,' you, too, 'can carry out a lethal ambush.' 'There is no retaliation face to face, just place and vanish,' states the article, which painstakingly reveals how to grease windy roads with oil so thoroughly that cars slip off it and crash. AQAP has continued to publish the magazine four times a year, even after one of its main writers, 26-year-old Samir Khan, from North Carolina, was killed in a September 2011 drone strike in Yemen along with fellow contributor Anwar al-Awlaki. Writer: Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S.-born cleric linked to Al Qaeda in Yemen, was killed in a drone strike . Several people in the U.S. and UK jailed for terrorist-related offences has been found in possession of the magazine. In December a young graduate whose brothers are . serving prison sentences for planning a terrorist attack on the London . Stock Exchange, was jailed for downloading Al-Qaeda it to her mobile phone. Ruksana Begum, 22, who has a first-class degree in accountancy, had two editions of Inspire, including articles such as 'Targeting the populations of countries that are at war with the Muslims'. Ms Begum's brothers, Gurukanth Desai, 30, and Abdul Miah, 25, were sentenced to 12 and 16 years respectively in February last year for their part in the plot. In October, the foreign student arrested over an . attempt to blow-up the New York Federal Reserve cited the publication as inspiration for his deadly plans. Quazi Nafis, 21, reportedly learned how to make a bomb from an . article in Inspire. One issue specifies how to create a . remote-controlled bomb with a list of ingredients and parts followed by a . photographic manual. Another issue suggested that a good way to forward the jihadist mission would be to mow down pedestrians in a pick-up truck. Handgun training and tips on being an 'urban assassin' are also included in the easily accessible terrorist magazine online.
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Most active branch publishes detailed guide on militant websites .
It lists 11 public figures 'wanted dead or alive .
for crimes against Islam'
Along with tips on terrorism, it also warns France to pull back from Mali .
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This is the incredibly stunning moment a diver approached a group of sharks as they devoured the carcass of a dead whale off the coast of the Bahamas. Christopher Crooks used an underwater camera to film the feeding frenzy near the Bimini islands in the Atlantic Ocean. He came within a few feet of the predators as they circled the carcass and tore off pieces of the dead whale with their razor-sharp teeth, but the sharks paid him no attention. Feast: A bull shark swims towards a severed piece of the whale carcass off the coast of the Bahamas . Feeding frenzy: Bull sharks gather around pieces of the dead whale . The whale had previously washed up on the shore of Bimini and Mr Crooks and a friend decided it would be a good idea to tow the remains out to sea to lure predators. Once the bait was set it did not take long for half a dozen sharks to pick up the scent and make their way to the carcass. Christopher Crooks used an underwater camera to film the feeding frenzy near the Bimini islands . Mr Crooks and a friend towed the carcass out to sea after it washed up on the shore . More than half a dozen sharks can be seen feasting on the carcass during the one-minute video. Mr Crooks said the experiment had worked as well as they could have expected. 'We weren't disappointed,' Mr Crooks wrote online. 'Within 45 minutes we had five bull sharks and a silky shark enjoying the carcass.'
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Footage was captured earlier this month on an underwater camera .
Carcass had washed up on the shore of Bimini .
Christopher Crooks decided to bring carcass to sea to lure predators .
Within 45 minutes five bull sharks and a silky shark had arrived .
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After a historic and emotional win at the grand final by the South Sydney Rabbitohs, one of its footy stars has lost their NRL premiership ring. The Rabbitohs centre reportedly dropped his prized possession into Sydney Harbour just less than a week after receiving it. Perth Now reports that Walker lost the ring whilst on a team cruise on Wednesday as players continued their celebrations following Sunday night's 30-6 victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs. Scroll down for video . South Sydney Rabbitohs centre Dylan Walker is pictured being tackled during the NRL grand final match with the Canterbury Bulldogs on Sunday night . Dylan Walker (centre) wears his premiership ring with pride during a meet and greet with fans at Redfern Oval on Monday . The premiership ring was awarded to the winning team of the NRL grand finals - this year being the South Sydney Rabbitohs . (From left) Sam Burgess, Greg Inglis and Dylan Walker of the Rabbitohs pose with the trophy in front of the crowd after their victory during the NRL grand finals . South Sydney team members and fans alike have been celebrating their premiership win from Sunday night - their first in 43 years. And the festivities continued today with a parade through Sydney before the team received the keys to the city. Earlier in the week, the team received a heroic welcome as they mingled with thousands of Rabbitoh's fans who crammed into and around Redfern Oval on Monday afternoon to commend the club's long-awaited grand final win. But on Thursday afternoon, reporter Ben Fordham tweeted: 'Souths player Dylan Walker has already LOST his NRL Premiership ring.' 'Dylan Walker's NRL premiership ring is on the bottom of Sydney Harbour. He dropped it while on a boat yesterday. Souths trying to replace it,' he wrote. However it is unknown the NRL have not confirmed whether or not they will be providing Walker with a replacement ring. Daily Mail Australia is also waiting a response from the South Sydney Rabbitohs. This was tweeted by reporter Ben Fordham on Thursday afternoon . Dylan Walker reportedly dropped the ring in Sydney Harbour on Wednesday night .
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South Sydney Rabbitohs centre Dylan Walker reportedly lost his ring on Wednesday .
It is believed he was on a cruise with teammates celebrating Sunday night's NRL grand final win .
It is unknown whether the ring will be replaced .
This team won the premiership for the first time in 43 years .
The Rabbitohs defeated Canterbury Bulldogs 30-6 .
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A police union chief slammed New York Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday for his failure to support city cops following the grand jury decision in the chokehold death of Eric Garner. New York City Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch criticized de Blasio, saying: 'Unequivocally, police officers feel like they have been thrown under the bus.' Lynch also defended white Officer Daniel Pantaleo's role in the death of unarmed, black father-of-six Mr Garner - even as protesters planned a new round of demonstrations tonight. The union chief said Pantaleo had acted properly in restraining Eric Garner during an arrest attempt in the borough of Staten Island on July 17. 'He's a model of what we want a police officer to be,' Lynch said. Scroll down for video . New York City Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch (center) said on Thursday that 'police officers feel like they have been thrown under the bus' after Mayor Bill de Blasio failed to support city cops following the grand jury decision in the chokehold death of Eric Garner . New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton on Thursday review new police guidelines that will be taught to officers at the Police Academy in Queens, New York . The police spokesman's staunch remarks came hours after commenters on a popular police blog angrily hit back at the widespread public protests and condemnation by political figures over the decision not to indict. The backlash on site, Policeone, came from some claiming police backgrounds and other law-enforcement supporters. The anonymous comments attacked outraged protesters, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, President Obama, Attorney-General Eric Holder and the media for their opposition to the grand jury decision. One post from VON1 read: 'Have you heard the mayor of NY press release. Wow! 35,000 cops just got b****slapped.' Another comment read: 'Stay safe, brothers. You're in for another set of riots.' The blog Policeone, which is dedicated to law enforcement, had a barrage of comments in support of the grand jury decision not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo . Black lives matter: More protests were arranged for Thursday as outrage swept across the country following the lack of indictment for New York cop Daniel Pantaleo. Pictured today are students protesting at Emory . New York City erupted in protests on Wednesday after a grand jury decision not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo, 29, who grabbed Mr Garner and put him in a chokehold which led to his death on July 17 in Staten Island. In a direct and sometimes passionate speech from Staten Island on Wednesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio made his dismay clear about a jury's decision not to charge Officer Daniel Pantaleo. De Blasio was among several prominent political figures to address the decision. President Obama himself went so far as to concede police racial bias does exist. Obama also revealed he'd spoken with Attorney General Eric Holder about the case. Holder on Wednesday evening announced the Department of Justice's civil rights wing had launched an investigation into the death of 43-year-old father-of-six. Protesters in Minneapolis shut down the Northbound lanes of I-35W amid more demonstrations on Thursday following the failure to indict the cop who put Eric Garner in a chokehold shortly before he died . Protesters rally against police brutality and racism by marching and laying down in the streets in downtown Pittsburgh on Thursday . An emotional de Blasio said the decision of a grand jury not to indict the officer who who put Eric Garner into a fatal chokehold was 'a very painful day for so many New Yorkers'. On the Policeone blog, which primarily covers law enforcement issues, the comments came thick and fast beneath an article which reported there would be no indictment for Officer Pantaleo. The comments came from police supporters or those claiming to be employed in law enforcement. Esu5 wrote: 'Every now and then we win one. Horrible situation, man lost his life, but like in the Ferguson case he controlled his own destiny.' office1149 posted: 'If you can shout ''I can't breath'' [sic] you can probably breath [sic]!' The comment referred to the numerous times that 43-year-old Mr Garner cried out that he couldn't breathe as officers pinned him to the ground during the video-taped attack before he lost consciousness. Other comments specifically attacked Mayor de Blasio. wasafuzz wrote: 'New York City Mayor and the entire New York City Council sided with criminal of 31 prior arrests Eric Gardner.' Another anonymous comment from, 1661, said: 'Isn't it great how the press minimizes what the criminal did, and vilifies the evil "White NYC police officer" portraying him killing a harmless "unarmed black man." Here comes Eric Holder with an NYPD consent decree!' A protester faces off with a NYPD officer in New York Cityduring a protest against the grand jury decision in the Eric Garner case . Garner's death was officially ruled a homicide by the Medical Examiner's Office in August. The 43-year-old is pictured here with four of his six children . SAPDMAS wrote: 'People are sick and tired of thugs. Certain people better wake the hell up and stop supporting the thugs. 2 years 1 month before the head thug gets thrown out and hopefully a real POTUS gets elected.' rbpd1176 simply put it: 'Damn glad I'm retired.' In a deeply personal and heartfelt address, Mayor de Blasion, whose wife Chirlane McCray is African American, said that when he spoke to Eric Garner's bereaved father: 'I couldn't help but immediately think of what it would mean to me to lose (his son) Dante.' With barely a word of support for the NYPD or their cleared officer, de Blasio's used his own son to explain that he knows the struggle and frustration that black people feel when dealing with police in New York City. 'We've had to talk to Dante for years about dangers he may face,' said de Blasio about the infamous 'talk' many parents of African American or mixed-race children have nationwide. 'I've had to worry over the years..Is my child safe? And not just from harsh realities…crimes and violence…are they safe from the people they want to have faith in (cops)?' Calling it a 'national moment of pain', the mayor said that racial profiling and distrust between African Americans and the police is 'a problem for all New Yorkers, it is a problem for all Americans. It's all our problem.' The mayor also said that he had spoken with NYPD Commissioner Bratton about retraining the entire police force. 'It should be self-evident, (but) our history requires us to say 'black lives matter'. The short address at times felt like a line in the sand being drawn by de Blasio, especially when he quoted his commissioner, Bill Bratton on weeding out those who do not belong in law enforcement. 'The department will act aggressively to ensure that any officer who is not meant to be in this work no longer is.' Indeed, he left the air hanging with the question of whether Officer Pantaleo will remain with the NYPD. Earlier, the widow of Eric Garner had exclaimed 'Oh my God, are you serious?' when she discovered the verdict, while de Blasio issued an earlier, equally emotional statement and declared that 'Today's outcome is one that many in our city did not want.' President Obama broke off from a planned speech to address the verdict saying, 'Police brutality is an American problem.' New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks to the media during a news conference in Staten Island after a grand jury decided not to charge white police officer Daniel Pantaleo who killed unarmed black man Eric Garner with a chokehol . After the decision was released it was announced the NYPD was recalling all officers from non-essential court business in anticipation of potential city-wide disturbances. Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan said the grand jury found 'no reasonable cause' to bring charges against Garner, who was selling loose, un-taxed cigarettes. In the neighborhood where father-of-six Garner died, people reacted with shouts, chants of 'Eric Garner' and expressions of angry disbelief. Garner's father, Benjamin Carr, urged calm and said the ruling made no sense. The grand jury could have considered a range of charges, from murder to a lesser offense such as reckless endangerment. 'I am actually astonished based on the evidence of the videotape, and the medical examiner, that this grand jury at this time wouldn't indict for anything,' said a lawyer for Garner's family, Jonathan Moore. The decision, which comes nine days after the Ferguson grand jury declined to indict Officer Darren Wilson, threatens to increase already fraught racial tensions nationwide and lead to more protests. The death of the father-of-six sparked national outrage just weeks before the fatal shooting of Michael Brown amid accusations of police brutality against African Americans. The decision by the grand jury panel means that a majority of them did not think there was probable cause a crime was committed by Pantaleo, who was the only NYPD officer facing indictment. Two other officers at the scene were offered immunity if they testified before the grand jury. The Medical Examiner's Office ruled his death a homicide but police union members have always denied Pantaleo used a chokehold. The medical examiner concluded the chokehold was the cause of death. Officer Pantaleo issued a statement following the announcement of the grand jury decision to say he felt 'very bad.' 'I became a police officer to help people and to protect those who can't protect themselves,' said Pantaleo. 'It is never my intention to harm anyone and I feel very bad about the death of Mr. Garner. 'My family and I include him and his family in our prayers and I hope that they will accept my personal condolences for their loss.' Cuffed: Througout his physical distress Eric Garner was kept in handcuffs and it is possible to see them in this screen grab (left) from cellphone video shot at the scene .
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NYC Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President said: 'Unequivocally, police officers feel like they have been thrown under the bus'
President Patrick Lynch also described Officer Daniel Pantaleo as 'a model of what we want a police officer to be'
De Blasio gave emotional speech on Wednesday in which he did not back Officer Pantaleo and called Garner's death a 'national moment of pain'
Dozens of comment on popular law enforcement website, Policeone, backed NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo and criticized public anger .
Unarmed Eric Garner died on July 17 after arrest by NYPD officers on Staten Island where Pantaleo placed him in a chokehold .
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A hedge fund billionaire who is attempting to prohibit his wife from getting her hands on much of his fortune in their divorce proceedings has recently hired a new lawyer - for his three minor children. Kenneth Griffin, 45, had asked the court to appoint a children’s representative in his divorce against his wife of 11 years, Anne Dias-Griffin, and now both sides have agreed on an attorney for their children. This comes as Mr. Griffin, 45, is trying to get away with only paying out what he laid out in the couple's prenup, a cash settlement that amounts to about one percent of his wealth, and does not include real estate or the couple's art collection. Happier times: Kenneth Griffin (right), who filed for divorce from wife Anne Dias-Griffin in July, has found an attorney for his children . Honeymoon is over: The couple married at Versailles (above) with a performance by Donna Summer . His worth is estimated to be around $5.6 billion according to Bloomberg News. He founded the hedge fund Citadel LLC in 1990, which now manages roughly $16 billion in assets. Mrs. Dias-Griffin claims she was coerced into signing the prenup, and has filed a petition with the court saying she did not have a chance to fully read the document before agreeing to it back in 2003. Their wedding ceremony took place in Versailles, France, as a two-day blowout that featured performances by Cirque du Soleil and Donna Summer. As it pertains to the three minor children, ages six, four and two, Mrs. Dias-Griffin in seeking sole custody with 'reasonable visitation,' while her husband is asking for joint custody, according to the Chicago Tribune. In most divorce cases, support payments vary based on custody arrangements. Chicago lawyer Joel Levin of Levin & Associates to has been chosen to serve as 'guardian ad litem' for the couple's kids. The duties of the guardian ad litem include investigating the facts of the case, interviewing the children, their parents, and other relevant parties, and submitting a written report to the court. Levin has previously worked with the children of famous actors and athletes. No money, more problems: Mrs. Dias-Griffin is set to get a small percentage of her husband's wealth in their divorce, but no real estate, such their $130 million Palm Beach estates (right), or art, like this $80 million Jasper Johns (left) Luxe living: Mr. Griffin has been living in a $15 million penthouse condo at the Park Tower in Chicago . Mr. Griffin filed for divorce in July of this year while his wife was on vacation in London with the children. He and his wife had been separated since February of 2012. Mrs. Dias-Griffin was a prominent name in the financial world herself, starting Aragon Global Management, LLC in 2001. She left in 2009 however to focus on her family. Among the real estate holdings Mrs. Dias-Griffin does not have any claim to according to the prenup are a $15 million penthouse condo at the Park Tower in Chicago, four Palm Beach properties worth $130 million, and a vast Balinese-style, beach-front property at the Hualalai resort in Hawaii which was purchased in 2011 for around $17 million.
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Kenneth Griffin, 45, has hired a lawyer for his children, ages six, four and two .
Mr. Griffin, who is worth $5.6 billion, is divorcing his wife and the children's mother, Anne Dias-Griffin .
Per a prenup, Mrs. Dias-Griffin has no right to anything but a small percentage of her husband's wealth .
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By . Chris Brooke . PUBLISHED: . 11:42 EST, 31 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:20 EST, 31 August 2012 . Seduced a schoolboy: Rachel Peters, 40, became Facebook friends with the teenager before having sex with him and sending sexual messages online . A ‘predatory’ teaching assistant who seduced a schoolboy of 13 and had sex with him in a field was jailed for three years and three months yesterday. Rachel Peters, 40, targeted the teenager despite being given a warning the previous year for inappropriate conduct with another pupil and having a daughter of a similar age. A respected member of staff at the school, Peters broke the rules by speaking to pupils over the internet on Facebook and MSN instant messaging service, Doncaster Crown Court was told. After initially refusing to become the 13-year-old’s Facebook friend, the pair began exchanging emails. Prosecuting, Kath Goddard said: ‘It involved discussion of sexual matters.’ When talking to the teenager over a webcam one evening, Peters pulled open her dressing gown to expose her breasts to him. A few days later she picked him up from school and ‘made it clear she wanted to have sexual intercourse with him,’ Miss Goddard said. They drove to a rural area where she performed a sex act on him in the car and she then took him to a field where they had sex, the court was told. The pair continued to meet outside school in the evenings and send sexual messages over the internet. The boy told police he ended the relationship after becoming worried when Peters started talking about running away together the court heard. Their affair came to light following a school trip when the boy was overheard chatting to a friend and admitted to a member of staff he had sex with ‘somebody called Rachel’. The school called in the police in September 2010 and Peters was arrested. Peters lied to police, claiming she was trying to help the boy because he was being bullied at school and had not had sex with him. But detectives found a large number . of texts and incriminating messages on her computer between her and the . boy, as well as a boy aged 17. Peters, . of Edlington, Doncaster, was due to stand trial on 10 offences but . after a jury had been sworn in she changed her plea to guilty on three . offences. She was convicted . of engaging in sexual activity in the boy’s presence and two charges of . causing or inciting the boy to engage in sexual activity. All three offences took place between January and September 2010. The other offences were left to lie on the file. Peters was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register. Passing . sentence, Judge Jacqueline Davies said Peters had tried to gain the . boy’s sympathy by lying to him and claiming that her former partner was . terminally ill. It is not clear whether or not Peters is still with her . partner. Over the web: She exposed her breasts to the boy over a webcam before picking him up from school, performing a sex act on the 13-year-old in the car and having sex with him in a field . Reports concluded she posed a serious risk to teenage boys and her behaviour was ‘predatory’. The judge told her: ‘As a mother of a daughter of a similar age I would hope you would appreciate the wrongness of this offence. ‘You were not naive, you have been a teaching assistant for 17 years and have been reprimanded for your conduct in the past.’ Steven Crossley, defending, said Peters had expressed ‘genuine contrition and remorse.’ Remorse: In Doncaster Crown Court, Steven Crossley, defending, said Peters had expressed 'genuine contrition and remorse'
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Rachel Peters, 40, became Facebook friends with a 13-year-old boy before picking him up from school .
She performed a sex act on him in the car before they have sex in a field .
Peters was jailed for three years and three months yesterday .
Peters had been warned for inappropriate conduct with another pupil .
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A psychiatric hospital has revealed its hidden rooms and treasures which have remained untouched for more than 40 years after it was set up as Quaker hospital in the 18th century. Hidden beneath The Retreat lies a morgue which has been under lock and key since the 1960s as well as cupboards, swathed in dust, containing finely preserved treasures such as a cannon ball and monkey skull, which have been accumulated in the last 400 years of the hospital. The hospital, in York, was set up by William Tuke, a retired tea merchant, in 1796 after he was appalled at the conditions at York Asylum, where Quaker Hannah Mills died. Many of the buildings which make up the Retreat, which functions as a psychiatric hospital today, are listed making many of them difficult to renovate. Scroll down for video . The basement of The Retreat in York has laid hidden for more than 40 years, with items covered in dust . Items found in the cupboards of the hospital include monkey's skull (left) and an old blood pressure test (right) The Retreat in York today remains a fully functioning psychiatric hospital after it was built for Quakers in 1796 . Lancashire boilers were installed in the boiler room of the retreat in 1922 and have not been used since 1970s . This meant some rooms and the items donated from patients and collected from around the world were abandoned and left to accumulate dust for dozens of years. A room in the basement by the main building contains a huge coal boiler used to heat the entire building with a mass of cogs and pipes stretching into the roof.The Lancaster boiler, which was installed in 1922, has remained completely out of use since the late 1970s early 80s. A pin board, dated 1915, features a poem believed to have been written by the boiler room's former workers, along with another note reading 'Into this boiler room have walked the best people in the world, my friends.' Also left preserved is the hospital's former morgue, which was built in the Victorian era and fell out of use in the 1960s, when undertakers were able to collect bodies quicker than before.The room houses the original marble slab used for bodies and an incinerator. The boiler room had not been used since the 1970s and a poem from 1915 was found on the pin boards there . The mortuary, built in 1920s, has laid unused for decades but the original table has been found preserved . Dusty cupboards contained plasters and medicines that had been preserved for decades in unused rooms . An Electro Convulsive Therapy (CVT) machine (left) was found along with silver service equipment (right) Old paint, containing lead, was found stored in rooms - many of which have been under lock and key for years . Another empty building once housed students in the 1940s and 1950s, and still holds exam books from the 1930s. In the cellars beneath the main building there is a trolley full of film reels, which are likely to have been shown to patients at the hospitals. Dozens of dusty cupboards contain items such as oxide plaster, baby powder, tools, aprons and boots, which have all been well preserved over the last three decades.Other items found include is a cannon ball excavated from Lamell Hill, a vase found on the site in an excavation in the 1800s, an ostrich egg and even a monkey skull. Martyn Ferguson, who works at The Retreat, said some of the rooms have been left under lock and key . A trolley containing old film reel was found and was probably used from around 1954 as patient training aids . An incinerator, from the mortuary and pictured left, as well as an ostrich egg (right) were among items found . A bedroom to accommodate male trainees, built in 1927, was one of the rooms left abandoned at the hospital . Time records, believed to have been completed in the 1930s, were found in rooms at The Retreat . Several treasures were found preserved in cupboards and dusty rooms, including a ledger of painting work . The Retreat in York is a psychiatric hospital open today and was built to improve care for Quakers in 1796 . The Retreat became officially operational with the arrival of its first patient, Margaret Holt, from Bradford, for a fee of eight shillings per week. 'The history of The Retreat is wonderful,' said Martyn Ferguson, Head of Facilities Management. 'Over the years there have been lots of different buildings in use as the site has always been a place on innovation in the mental health sector. Medicines and equipment, found preserved on dusty shelves and in corners were revealed in the rooms . Items of equipment, including an old blood pressure taker (left) and silver service equipment (right) were found . A vase (left) was found on in the 1800s and silver service equipment (right) was in the steward's rooms . An old syringe is among the items found as The Retreat revealed several of its hidden and unused rooms . Much of the equipment and items found had been preserved, despite not being used for several decades . 'When they were not required there, we had to close the doors and leaving them as they were. It is very difficult to upgrade a listed building to modern standards, especially with grounds being a conservation area.' Mr Tuke's grandson, Samuel Tuke, is also buried in the grounds of the site. Joseph Rowntree, the businessman, is also been buried there. 29 April 1790 Hannah Mills died in York Asylum. The conditions she was in shocked the Quakers . October 1793 he Society of Friends (Quakers) buy the land The Retreat now occupies . February 1795 Friends fundraise for the hospital . May 1796 Doors of The The Retreat, a psychiatric hospital open and first patient admitted . 1812 North East wing built . 1827 North West wing built . 1847 The opening of the York to Scarborough railway line meant excursions to the seaside begin . 1855 Friends burial ground open at The Retreat . February 1896 Cricket pitch laid and is still in use today . 1942 Cricket and tennis pitches are ploughed up in spirit of 'Dig for Victory' 1968 An occupational therapy unit is built . .
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Rooms and treasures at hospital left preserved after being abandoned .
Monkey skull, cannon ball and marble slab used in morgue have been found .
The Retreat in York was set up in 1796 to improve treatment for Quakers .
Some of hospital's rooms have fallen out of use and kept under lock and key .
This has preserved boiler room and morgue, as well as collected treasures .
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By . Paul Thompson . PUBLISHED: . 10:12 EST, 15 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:54 EST, 15 April 2013 . Ten British holidaymakers were among a group of cruise ship passengers robbed at gunpoint during a stopover on the Caribbean island of St Lucia. Three masked armed men held the terrified tourists – forcing them to handover cash and jewellery. Many were left in tears from their ordeal and were visibly shaken when the group of 55 and two staff returned to their cruise the Celebrity Eclipse. Holiday terror: A woman weeps as she returns to her cruise ship . Robbed in paradise: Cruise passengers from the Celebrity Eclipse were visibly shaken as they returned to the ship at its mooring in Castries on Friday, after their group was held at gun point and robbed . Grinning like newlyweds: Matt Damon and wife Luciana the morning after renewing their vows on the island . Detectives with the St Lucia police boarded the vessel to take statements from the passengers involved and two men have since been arrested in connection with the robbery. A third person was being sought and sources said some of the jewellery stolen during the robbery had been recovered. One passenger posted details of the robbery on the internet forum Cruise Critic. She claimed that a woman had broken her leg during the hold-up. Using the name Arizona Cruz Chic, she wrote: ‘One of the ships tour was robbed at gunpoint by three masked gunmen. 'We’re not on the tour but friends were. They said one woman fell and broke her leg, no one else was injured, all their money and jewellery were taken.’ The victims, who were in a convoy of mini-buses, were held up at the Botanical Gardens in Soufriere in the north of the island during a tour excursion. The robbery took place less than a mile from where St Lucia police had mounted a huge security operation to protect Hollywood star Matt Damon and a star studded guest list at an exclusive beach resort. Safe now: Passengers who fell victim to the robbery return to their ship from one of the minibuses held up . Manhunt: Police today said they had arrested two men in connection with the robbery . The actor and his wife Luciana were renewing their marriage vows at the Sugar Beach resort where they had booked all 78 rooms at a cost of close to £750,000. Guests at the ceremony included former President Bill Clinton’s daughter Chelsea, actors Robert De Niro and Ben Affleck and his wife Jennifer Garner. Many locals on the island had criticised the police operation that was using the time and resources of so many officers, and was put into force to stop photographers from taking pictures of the wedding ceremony. Damon and his wife renewed their vows on Saturday but had been at the resort all week. St Lucia’s tourism minister Lorne Theophilus described the robbery as ‘unfortunate and a horrible scenario’. Natural beauty: A waterfall at the botanical gardens in Soufriere, St Lucia. Ten Britons were among tourists on a cruise day trip to the gardens who were robbed at gunpoint by masked men on Friday . The town of Soufriere is overlooked by two dormant volcanoes known as the Pitons: Police today said they had arrested two men in connection with the robbery and a third person was being sought . Police protectio: Locals said that security had been deployed to deal with Matt Damon renewing his wedding vows to Luciana Barroso . He said the country’s prime minister had been asked to be kept informed of the situation. Matthew . Beaubrun, Chairman of the St Lucia Tourist Board said: ‘This is a rare . incident. This is such an important industry for us that we need to . respond. ‘We have taken it very seriously at . the highest level and I know the minister’s been in touch with the prime . minister, so we are not taking this thing lightly.’ The . guests were on two shore excursions, one called ‘Breathtaking Soufrière . and Warm Mineral Baths’ and the other ‘Land and Sea to the Pitons’, . both of which were travelling on the same bus. Last year more than 400,000 tourist visited St Lucia, with more than a quarter of those from cruise ships. A statement from Celebrity Cruises said: ‘No one was injured in the robbery and the guests returned to the ship unharmed. ‘We . are thankful that none of our guests were injured in this unfortunate . event, and will continue to provide them any support they may need. ‘A . vacation is supposed to be filled with fun, rejuvenation and . relaxation. An act of crime should not be part of any vacation, and we . regret our guests had to experience those events.’ The . Celebrity Eclipse had docked in Castries harbour on Friday for a 12 . hour stay. The 121,000 ton ship, which has 17 decks and can cater for . 2,800 passengers, was on a 14 day Caribbean tour. Prices cost around . £3,000. The vessel had left . Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 6 and its ports of calls include . Barbados, Grenada and Aruba before returning to Florida on Saturday. Around . 70,000 Britons visit St Lucia each year. The Foreign Office warns of . ‘petty crime, including thefts’, adding that ‘there have also been some . incidents of violent crime including assaults and murder’. The Celebrity Eclipse: Detectives boarded the cruise ship to take statements from the 55 passengers who were involved before it embarked on the next stage of its Caribbean voyage. This incident is the latest involving British tourists visiting the Caribbean this year.Last month two British tourists were shot and injured in Barbados. Ann Prior, 59, and her 72-year-old husband Phillip were gunned down during a botched street robbery in the capital Bridgetown. The . couple, from Woodbridge, Suffolk, were on a stopover on a three month . P&O round-the-world-cruise when they were attacked. And . in January a leading British professor and his wife were seriously . injured when they arrived at their holiday villa in Barbados. Dr James Bridges and his wife Olga suffered multiple stab wounds as they fought with their attacker.
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Masked men forced holidaymakers on trip to see St Lucia's beautiful botanical gardens to hand over cash and valuables .
Robbers struck close to where huge security operation was protecting film star Matt Damon and guests as he and wife renewed their views .
Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident and a third is being sought, police said .
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The Navy has revealed a radical new laser weapon it says can shoot down missiles, boats and even drones from a warship is already is active service. The prototype Laser Weapon System was being tested on the USS Ponce in the Persian Gulf, and was so successfully commanders gave the weapon the go-ahead to use it to defend the ship. Experts say they also found a surprising second use for the system - as a surveillance tool. Scroll down for video . The laser weapon aboard the USS Ponce, where is was able to shoot boats and drone in exercises . The laser was accurate enough to blow up a test missile being carried on an unmanned platform during tests of the new weapon aboard the USS Ponce in the Persian Gulf. The prototype 30 kW-class solid-state laser (SSL) weapon system developed under the leadership of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), the LaWS integrates six commercial 5.4 kW fibre lasers with a beam combiner originated by the Naval Research Laboratory. A surface warfare weapons officer aboard USS Ponce who can operate all functions of the laser-and if commanded, fire the laser weapon. Using a video game-like controller (pictured), that sailor will be able to manage the laser's power to accomplish a range of effects against a threat, from disabling to complete destruction. Rear Adm. Matthew L. Klunder, chief of naval research, said that during the test sailors began using the system in ways its developers didn't fully anticipate, such as for long-range surveillance. Sailors were able to identify approaching vessels at ranges 'they have never dreamed of'. The range of surveillance capabilities is a closely guarded secret. 'We were calling it a Hubble telescope on the water,' Adm. Klunder said. The prototype, an improved version of the Laser Weapon System (LaWS), was installed on USS Ponce for at-sea testing in the Persian Gulf. The prototype 30 kW-class solid-state laser (SSL) weapon system was developed under the leadership of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). It integrates six commercial 5.4 kW fibre lasers with a beam combiner originated by the Naval Research Laboratory. Using a video game-like controller, that sailor will be able to manage the laser's power to accomplish a range of effects against a threat, from disabling to complete destruction. 'This is a revolutionary capability,' said Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder said when the tests began. 'It's absolutely critical that we get this out to sea with our Sailors for these trials, because this very affordable technology is going to change the way we fight and save lives.' Navy leaders have made directed-energy weapons a top priority to counter what they call asymmetric threats, including unmanned and light aircraft and small attack boats that could be used to deny U.S. forces access to certain areas. High-energy lasers offer an affordable and safe way to target these threats at the speed of light with extreme precision and an unlimited magazine, experts say. Perfect shot! The moment the laser weapon blows up an unmanned boat during tests in the Persian Gulf . The weapons was also shown downing a drone with a single blast from its laser . 'Our nation's adversaries are pursuing a variety of ways to try and restrict our freedom to operate,' Klunder said. 'Spending about $1 per shot of a directed-energy source that never runs out gives us an alternative to firing costly munitions at inexpensive threats.' As a result of the test, Navy officials said they planned to deploy the weapon into the Middle East for a year aboard the Ponce, allowing sailors to use the system to track potential threats and defend the ship. 'We have the authorities right now to use it in self-defense,' Klunder said. 'If someone was coming to harm the USS Ponce, we could use this laser system on that threat and we would intend to do so.' The Navy already has demonstrated the effectiveness of lasers in a variety of maritime settings. In a 2011 demonstration, a laser was used to defeat multiple small boat threats from a destroyer. In 2012, LaWS downed several unmanned aircraft in tests. A surface warfare weapons officer aboard USS Ponce who can operate all functions of the laser-and if commanded, fire the laser weapon. Using a video game-like controller, that sailor will be able to manage the laser's power to accomplish a range of effects against a threat, from disabling to complete destruction. Just one controller is need, who uses a game controller to direct and fire the laser weapon . To show its accuracy, researchers put a test missile on an unmanned craft - and the laser was able to hit it perfectly . The deployment on Ponce will prove crucial as the Navy continues its push to provide laser weapons to the fleet at large. The Navy will decide next year which, if any, of the three industry prototypes are suitable to move forward and begin initial ship installation for further testing. 'We are in the midst of a pivotal transition with a technology that will keep our Sailors and Marines safe and well-defended for years to come,' said Peter Morrison, ONR program manager for SSL-TM. 'We believe the deployment on Ponce and SSL-TM will pave the way for a future acquisition program of record so we can provide this capability across the fleet.' The U.S. Navy is has declared an experimental laser weapon on its Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) in the Persian Gulf an operational asset and U.S. Central Command has given permission for the commander of the ship to defend itself with the weapon. The USS Ponce, where the radical weapon is being tested by the US Navy .
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30 kW laser integrates six commercial 5.4 kW fibre lasers into one beam .
Controlled using a video game controller by a single operator .
System can also be used as a long range laser surveillance scanner .
USS Ponce in the Persian Gulf given go ahead to defend itself with weapon .
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By . Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:39 EST, 23 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:42 EST, 23 December 2013 . A federal judge on Monday allowed gay marriage to continue in Utah, rejecting a request to put same-sex weddings on hold as the state appeals a decision that has sent couples flocking to county clerk offices for marriage licenses. Judge Robert J. Shelby overturned Utah's ban on same-sex marriage Friday, ruling the voter-approved measure is a violation of gay couples' constitutional rights. The state then asked him to put a stop to the weddings, but he rejected the request. Lawyers for the state quickly filed a request with the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to put gay marriage on hold. Happy day: Jax and Heather Collins get married Monday at the Salt Lake County clerk's office . More than 200 gay couples have obtained marriage licenses since Friday in Utah's most populous county. On Monday, an estimated 100 licenses were issued in other counties, while some clerks shut their doors as they awaited Shelby's decision. Couples began lining up Sunday night at the Salt Lake County clerk's office as they hoped to get licenses amid the uncertainty of the pending ruling. They anxiously eyed their cellphones for news on the decision, and a loud cheer erupted once word spread that Shelby wouldn't be blocking weddings. Shelby's decision to overturn Utah's same-sex marriage ban has drawn attention given the state's long-standing opposition to gay marriage and its position as headquarters for the Mormon church. The gay weddings in Salt Lake City were taking place about 3 miles from church headquarters. For now, a state considered one of the nation's most conservative has become the 18th to allow same-sex couples to legally wed, joining the likes of California and New York. They got it: Becky Dustin, left, and Jennifer Rasmussen, right, exit the Salt Lake County clerk's office Monday with their marriage license . It's estimated that nearly two-thirds of Utah's 2.8 million residents are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Mormons dominate the state's legal and political circles. The Mormon church was one of the leading forces behind California's short-lived ban on same-sex marriage, Proposition 8, which voters approved in 2008. The church said Friday it stands by its support for 'traditional marriage,' and it hopes a higher court validates its belief that marriage is between a man and woman. In court Monday, Utah lawyer Philip Lott repeated the words 'chaotic situation' to describe what has been happening in Utah since clerks started allowing gay weddings. He urged the judge to "take a more orderly approach than the current frenzy." 'Utah should be allowed to follow its Democratically chosen definition of marriage,' he said of the 2004 gay marriage ban. Lott said the state was disappointed with Shelby's latest ruling and will continue its legal battle. The long wait: Couples in line for marriage licenses Monday at the Salt Lake County clerk's office . Peggy Tomsic, the lawyer for the same-sex couples who brought the case, called gay marriage the civil rights movement of this generation and said it was the new law of the land in Utah. 'The cloud of confusion that the state talks about is only their minds,' she said. Tomsic said she was relieved that Shelby stuck to his ruling and avoided being pressured by a moral or political majority in the state. 'It's awfully easy to get caught up in the emotion and do a kneejerk reaction,' Tomsic said outside the courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. 'Fortunately, we have a judge who takes his oath of office seriously.' Meanwhile, couples were getting married once every few minutes in the lobby of the Salt Lake County clerk's office to the sound of string music from a violin duet. Lawyers for the state waged a legal battle on several fronts as they sought to stop the same-sex weddings. Their happiest day: Chris Serrano, left, and Clifton Webb embrace Monday after being married . On Sunday, a federal appeals court rejected the state's emergency request to stay the ruling, saying it couldn't rule on a stay since Shelby had not yet acted on the motion before him. The court quickly rejected a second request from Utah on Monday. The state plans to ask the court a third time to put the process on hold. Adding to the chaos surrounding the situation is the fact that Utah Attorney General John Swallow stepped down about a month ago amid a scandal involving allegations of bribery and offering businessmen protection in return for favors. The state has had an acting attorney general ever since, and Gov. Gary Herbert appointed a replacement Monday who will serve until a special election next year. In Shelby's 53-page ruling, he said the constitutional amendment that Utah voters approved violates gay and lesbian couples' rights to due process and equal protection under the 14th Amendment. Shelby said the state failed to show that allowing same-sex marriages would affect opposite-sex marriages in any way. The decision drew a swift and angry reaction from Herbert, who said he was disappointed in an 'activist federal judge attempting to override the will of the people of Utah.' The state quickly took steps to appeal the ruling and halt the process, setting up Monday's hearing before Shelby. The ruling has thrust Shelby into the national spotlight. He has been on the bench for less than two years, appointed by President Barack Obama after GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch recommended him in November 2011. Shelby served in the Utah Army National Guard from 1988 to 1996 and was a combat engineer in Operation Desert Storm. He graduated from the University of Virginia law school in 1998 and clerked for the U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Greene in Utah, then spent about 12 years in private practice before he became a judge.
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Gay marriages were permitted to continue in Utah despite a state request to block them .
Hundreds of marriage certificates have been issued across multiple counties since Friday - including 200 in Salt Lake County alone .
Some county clerks have shuttered while awaiting a judge's decision .
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By . Lydia Warren . Tara the cat, who saved her family's four-year-old son from a vicious dog attack that was caught on camera, has been best friends with the boy since he was born, his parents have said. She followed Erica and Roger Triantafilo home from a park in Bakersfield, California about six years ago and has been a member of the family ever since, they said. On Wednesday, she became the nation's most beloved cat when surveillance footage emerged showing her saving their son Jeremy by pouncing on the neighbor's dog as it attacked him. On Thursday, Jeremy snoozed his way through his first live interview on the Today show as his parents described their shock at Tara's act of bravery. Scroll down for video - WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT . Safe: Erica and Roger Triantafilo sit with their sleeping four-year-old son Jeremy and Tara the cat, who saved him from a vicious dog attack outside their California home . 'It's pretty amazing to see just a cat . take on a dog and selflessly put herself out there,' Roger Triantafilo said. 'That dog did not . even know what hit him.' Erica explained that she had been near to the house watering a tree when the neighbor's dog, an eight-month-old male Labrador-Chow mix, escaped and grabbed her son by the leg. 'I'd never seen a dog just shake a child like that so violently,' she said. 'I just remember hearing him and the next thing I know, I see my cat flying out of nowhere and getting to this dog.' After the attack, Tara can be seen chasing the dog away before returning to Jeremy's side. In an interview with the Bakersfield Californian, his family said she had always been protective over their oldest child and slept in his crib when he was a baby. They also have younger twin boys. Tara the cat, who saved Jeremy, four, from a vicious dog attack that was caught on camera, threw the first pitch at a minor league baseball game . Loved: The cat happily lets the little boy kiss her as he calls her a hero who saved him from a 'mean dog' They added that Tara became part of the family in 2008 when she followed them home from a nearby park - and they accepted her into their home, even though Erica is allergic to cats. She 'really just adopted us from there,' Mrs Triantafilo said. They named her Tara after 'Zatara', which was the name given to Edmond Dantes in The Count of Monte Cristo by smugglers. They told him it means driftwood. 'We named her driftwood because she's our little cat that followed us home,' Triantafilo said. 'She's our little driftwood. She's amazing.' She said that even though her three boys tug at Tara, she sits there and takes it. Lurking: Jeremy Triantafilo was outside his family's home when a neighbor's dog escaped and ran towards him . To the rescue! Tara runs towards her owner as Scrappy shakes him. The dog was euthanized after continuing to show aggression during a 10-day assessment . 'She's the most mellow cat you've ever seen,' she told Today. 'All our boys love her... and she loves them right back.' The video had shown . Jeremy sitting on his bicycle outside his family's home on Tuesday when . the dog escaped its home through an open gate and crept up on him from . behind. Surveillance footage, which Jeremy's father uploaded to YouTube, shows the dog grabbing the boy's leg and pulling him to the ground before violently shaking him with his teeth clamped tight. Then suddenly, an unlikely hero bounds towards him - the family's cat, Tara. The . video shows the fearless feline jumping on the dog with enough force to . push him away from the boy. Tara then chases the dog away from the . driveway with its leg between its tail. Feline brave: The cat launches herself at the startled dog and knocks it away from Jeremy . And don't come back! Tara follows the dog to make sure it has left, before returning to check on Jeremy . The neighbor, who had been pulling out of their gated driveway when the dog escaped, called 911 for the boy and his mother, KERO reported. The boy, who has mild autism, needed 1- stitches to the deep wounds on his legs but is otherwise fine. 'He's just bouncing back from this,' she told Today. 'He . tells us it feels better.' Speaking to Kero, he said: 'Tara is my hero!' The dog was taken by Bakersfield Animal Control and could be rehabilitated at the neighbors' but home but also faces being euthanized. Injuries: Jeremy needed stitches to the wounds on his leg, pictured, but is otherwise fine, his mother said . Relief: Jeremy's parents, Erica and Roger, pictured, said they were relieved his injuries were not worse . The . encounter was caught on surveillance cameras outside the home and . uploaded to YouTube by the boy's father, Roger Triantafilo, on . Wednesday. 'My cat . defends my son during a vicious dog attack and runs the dog off before . he can do additional damage,' Triantafilo wrote beneath the video. 'Thankfully, my son is fine!' The . boy's mother said on Facebook: 'We aren't upset with our neighbors, . we're just thankful our son wasn't injured more... Our cat is my hero!' 'Whoever said cats don't love their owners!' one YouTube viewer said. See below for video . Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy .
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WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT .
Jeremy Triantafilo was outside his family's California home on Tuesday when the neighbor's dog escaped and grabbed him from behind .
But the family cat, Tara, jumped on the dog and chased it away .
The boy needed stitches and the dog has been taken by animal control .
The incident was captured on surveillance cameras outside the home .
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By . Hamish Mackay for MailOnline . Follow @@H_Mackay . Real Madrid have released a new black third kit, which the Champion League winners will wear in Europe when defending their crown. The new kit, designed by Yohji Yamamoto, bears a 'dragon king' - which 'symbolizes the greatness, glory and power of the club' - and also a 'dragon bird' - which 'represents the clubs resistance, determination and agility on its way to the victory', according to Adidas. Carlo Ancelotti's side are bidding the first team in the history of the Champions League to retain their title, which they won after beating neighbours Atletico Madrid 4-1 in May. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez unveil the new dragon-inspired third Real Madrid kit . New: Adidas have released a new third kit for European Champions Real Madrid, which will be worn predominantly in the Champions League . Dragon: Gareth Bale poses in the new black kit, which as a 'dragon bird' and 'dragon king' intertwined on the front . Squad: Xabi Alonson, Gareth Bale, Iker Casillas, James Rodriguez and Marcelo pass the ball around in the Bernabeu . Poser: Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez poses in the shirt next to a dragon, which Adidas say 'symbolises the greatness, glory and power of the club' Colourful character: Bale (right) wears a pair of Yohji Yamamoto-designed Adidas boots during the launch of Real Madrid's new black kit . Timing: Real Madrid launch their new all-black kit on the day when Manchester United are expected to announce the signing of Angel di Maria from Real . Atletico did manage to get some small revenge over the local rivals when they beat them in the Super Copa. After a 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Bernabeu, where James Rodriguez and Raul Garcia got their names on the score-sheet, Diego Simeone's men won 1-0 at home. New signing Mario Mandzukic began where Diego Costa left off and scored the winning goal. Real began their league campaign with a win, though. They beat newly-promoted side Cordoba 2-0 at home, thanks to goals from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo. Kit: Spanish newspaper As report that it is now the 'year of the dragon' Mock-up: Karim Benzema poses in the new kit, which Real Madrid will use in the Champions League . Away: As well as the new black kit Real Madrid have launched an Orange version which can be used in case they face a team playing in black . Star-man: With the notable absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale took centre stage at the new kit launch .
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Adidas release new Real Madrid third kit .
The black shirt will be worn in Europe as they defend their Champions League crown .
James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale, Iker Casillas, Marcelo and Xabi Alonso posed in the new kit .
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After winning the support of New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, Mitt Romney now has the support of legendary quarterback John Elway, ahead of the first presidential debate tomorrow. The former Denver Broncos quarterback hailed the Republican candidate as a 'proven leader' and called Romney and his vice-president hopeful Paul Ryan as a 'comeback team'. The executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos said: 'Governor Romney is a proven leader with the experience and background to turn around our struggling economy,' The Weekly Standard reported. Scroll down for video . Quarterback's backing: Former Denver Broncos QB John Elway, right, introduces Mitt Romney during a campaign rally at the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in Denver . Owner: Woody Johnson spoke candidly about everything from politics to the NFL referee lockout that was resolved last week when he appeared on Market Makers on Monday . 'In these tough economic times, we . need a president who understands how to get America working again – by . standing on the side of taxpayers and small-business owners who do the . real job creating. 'I am endorsing Governor Romney and . Congressman Ryan for President and Vice President because I know having . the courage to make decisions and tackle challenges is what leads to . results and real change. America needs a comeback team - Mitt Romney and . Paul Ryan are that team.' A delighted Romney said he was thrilled to have the Hall of Fame footballer, who retired in 1999 and was statistically the second most prolific passer in the history of the NFL, backing him. He said: 'Leaders come in many forms, . and John Elway has always exemplified leadership, first as a . quarterback for the Super Bowl champion Broncos, and now as an executive . vice president for the team. 'He's had to overcome challenges during his career, and he knows what it takes to turn things around when things get tough. Prolific passer: Romney says he's thrilled to have Elway, a Hall of Fame footballer, who retired in 1999, behind him . 'I'm proud to have him on my team as we campaign to lead the comeback this nation desperately needs.' Elway was joined by Woody Johnson - whose priorities go beyond the football field in an election season. Appearing on Bloomberg TV's Market . Makers on Monday morning, Johnson wore the Jets team colors on his tie . as he candidly spoke on everything from politics to the recent referee . lockout. But at the . conclusion of the interview, Market Makers co-host Stephanie Ruhle asked . Johnson which was more important - a winning season for the Jets, or an . election victory for Mitt Romney? Strong words: Johnson, left, surprised hosts Stephanie Ruhle, center, and Erik Schatzker, right, when asked if a Romney victory or a winning season for the Jets was more important . Friends: Johnson, left, is pictured in 2003 at the White House with President George W. Bush, then-NFL Players Association director Gene Upshaw and then-NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue . Johnson responded: 'Well I think you . always have to put country first. So I think it's very very important - . not only for us but in particular our kids and grandkids - that this . election come off with Mitt Romney and [Paul] Ryan as president and vice . president.' Johnson, the Johnson & Johnson . heir who also serves as one of Romney’s campaign finance co-chairs, is . no stranger to the Republican cause. In the past two days, Johnson held three major fundraisers for the Romney/Ryan ticket in New York. Business Insider reported . last month that Johnson donated $2,500 to Romney's campaignin 2012, but . has raised millions in recent years for GOPers like Romney, George W. Bush and John McCain. With the coach: Johnson, pictured right with Jets head coach Rex Ryan, called the team's loss on Sunday 'absolutely unacceptable' And if Johnson is putting more . support behind Romney, it's certainly showing on the football field, as . the Jets suffered a heartbreaking blowout loss on Sunday at home. The injury-plagued team was stopped dead in their tracks by a superior San Francisco 49ers, who won 34-0. Always . slow to keep his temper under control, head coach Rex Ryan told . reporters after Sunday's game: 'I was going to say we got our butt . kicked, but really, we got our ass kicked. There's no two ways, ins or . outs about it.' Quarterback Mark Sanchez’s measly 13 completions in 29 attempts have some fans calling for him to take a seat on the bench and allow back-up Tim Tebow much more playing time. Tebow said after the game: 'Me and Mark have a great relationship and we're not worried about that. We're not worried about what others are saying.' Johnson, who called the loss 'absolutely unacceptable,' said it didn’t mean Tebow will start next week, but admitted 'it's a question that’s going to be asked more frequently.' Time for a change? The Jets' loss on Sunday has some calling for the team to bench quarterback Mark Sanchez, right, in favor of Tim Tebow, left . Watch video here .
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New York Jets owner shocks fans after declaring 'I'd rather Romney win than the Jets'
Longtime Republican supporter says 'I think you always have to put country first'
Johnson calls Jets' 34-0 loss on Sunday 'absolutely unacceptable'
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(CNN) -- Earth is in the grip of the "sixth great extinction crisis," say some scientists, with up to 2,000 species dying out each year. These 11 great wildlife experiences could disappear within your lifetime. 1. Witnessing a great animal migration . Ancient rock art images of animals moving across the African savannah indicate that humans have been marveling at animal migrations for more than 20,000 years. But poaching, agriculture, war and deforestation are encroaching on wildlife corridors around the world, placing these animal movements -- from Africa's wildebeest migration to the annual pilgrimage of North American bison -- under threat. How to do it: GAdventures pairs good wildlife access with creature comforts on its Kenya Safari Experience tour (eight days from $3,490 per person; +1 888 800 4100), taking in Kenya's Lake Nakuru, Amboseli National Park and the Masai Mara, where Africa's wildebeest end their migration. 2. Coming eye-to-eye with a polar bear . While hunting is still allowed by some Arctic-dwelling native communities, it's climate change that poses the largest threat to polar bears. Latest data from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) shows that eight of the 19 sub-populations of polar bear that roam the Arctic are in decline. Scientists project that two-thirds of all polar bears could disappear by 2050. Due to its southern exposure, Canada's Hudson Bay is one of the bear habitats most threatened by climate change -- increasing temperatures are forcing bears off the ice earlier each year. How to do it: Churchill Wild (+1 866 846 9453) is one of a handful of operators on the western shores of Hudson Bay that facilitate multi-day bear watching tours starting at around $3,000 per person. 3. Counting the stripes on a tiger . Tigers once roamed freely across Asia. Today the world's most endangered big cats have disappeared from 90% of their historic range. Just six of nine known tiger species are thought to remain, with an estimated 3,200 animals left in the wild. While it's extremely rare to spot the elusive beasts in their natural habitat (the South China tiger, for example, hasn't been seen since the early 1970s), protected reserves in India and Nepal provide the best opportunities. How to do it: Intrepid Travel offers a Chitwan Extension (four days from $430 per person; +1 800 970 7299) tour to Nepal's Chitwan National Park from Kathmandu. Once a royal hunting reserve, Chitwan is home to elephant, rhino, crocodile, monkeys, deer and about 100 Bengal tigers. 4. Swimming amid live coral on Australia's Great Barrier Reef . The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest reef system, is in peril. Temperature fluctuations are primarily to blame for the disappearance of half its coral since 1985 and the Australian Institute of Marine Science predicts that less than a quarter could be left within a decade. Following plans by the Australian government to industrialize parts of the reef, the World Heritage Committee passed a recommendation to consider listing the UNESCO site as "in danger" at a meeting in June 2014. How to do it: Calypso Snorkel and Dive (+61 7 4099 6999) offers daily snorkeling and diving day trips to the reef from the Far North Queensland resort town of Port Douglas starting from $174 per person. 5. Tracking gorillas in the mist . Endemic to the forests of central Africa, both species of the world's largest primate have been decreasing in numbers for decades largely due to poaching and disease. Worryingly, a 2010 United Nations report suggested that these gentle giants of the forest might disappear from large parts of the Congo Basin, one of their primary habitats, by the mid-2020s. How to do it: Wilderness Collection offers gorilla tracking opportunities during a six-day tour, from $6,474 per person, split between two luxury Odzala camps (+27 11 807 1800) in an area of the Republic of the Congo that's home to a high density of western lowland gorilla. Chimpanzee, leopard, golden cat and a large number of other primate and bird species are also present. 6. Seeing the creatures of Galápagos as Darwin saw them . Remaining virtually undiscovered for centuries did much to preserve the living showcase of evolution described by Charles Darwin in "The Origin of Species." But Ecuador's best known ecosystem remains fragile. The last remaining Pinta Island tortoise, fondly known as Lonesome George, died in 2012, adding to the list of several other species that have died out since Darwin's 1835 visit. How to do it: While it's possible to fly to Galapagos from mainland Ecuador and visit several islands independently, you can only reach the bulk of protected habitats on heavily regulated organized cruises. You can expect to pay from around $1,500 for a last-minute, week-long cruise organized in the capital Quito or Puerto Ayora on the island of Santa Cruz. Prices double (or more) for the convenience of booking ahead through an international company such as Ecoventura (+1 800 633 7972). 7. Hanging around with orangutans . Sharing 98% of our DNA, orangutans are one of the closest relatives to man, though if predictions are accurate, Asia's only two great ape species could be extinct in the wild within the next decade. Conservation groups such as Borneo Orangutan Survival have bolstered numbers through rehabilitation and release programs, but the illegal pet trade, trafficking and habitat destruction still present the greatest threats to the survival of orangutans on the only two islands they inhabit: Borneo and Sumatra. How to do it: Gecko's Adventures include a visit to two rehabilitation centers in Malaysian Borneo on their Orangutanland tour (18 days from $2,500; +44 0808 274 5981). The trip includes a cruise down Kinabatangan River, where you might spot orangutans, proboscis monkeys, macaques and elephants in the wild. 8. Watching sea turtles nest . Scientists have been debating for decades why -- not to mention how -- sea turtles return to the same beach every year to lay their eggs. But the phenomenon may soon be a thing of legend thanks to the ravages of intense egg collection, fisheries bycatch and light pollution, which have forced species such as the leatherback, hawksbill and green turtles onto endangered lists. How to do it: You can sign up for a volunteering stint with an organization such as Earthwatch (nine-day Costa Rica program from $2,800 per person; +1 978 461 0081) during which you'll help safeguard turtle eggs and assist new hatchlings. 9. Spotting Africa's Big Five . European game hunters and the illegal wildlife trade may soon reduce Africa's most prestigious group of game animals from the legendary Big Five to four. While lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo and leopard populations are relatively stable, rhinos are in serious trouble. Poaching has increased dramatically during the past few years, with 800 rhinos killed illegally in South Africa in 2013 alone. Last year, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) declared the western black rhino officially extinct. How to do it: All members of the Big Five can still be found in Botswana, Uganda, Namibia, Ethiopia, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. If you're particularly eager to see rhinos, Intrepid Travel's Okavango Experience (nine days from $1,155 per person; +1 800 970 7299) includes a dusk game drive in Botswana's Khama Rhino Sanctuary for a chance to spot both white and black rhino. 10. Swimming alongside whale sharks . Nicknamed "dominos" for their distinctive markings, the world's largest fish are among the most placid of the shark species. Unfortunately, demand for whale shark meat, fins and oil, on top of unregulated tourism, remains an enormous threat to this vulnerable species. How to do it: A WWF-sponsored ecotourism project in the Philippine village of Donsol allows tourists to swim with whale sharks while following strict rules to avoid disturbing them. Donsol EcoTour (+63 2 576 5934) offers snorkeling packages with gear and a trained guide from around $25 per person. 11. Be awed by a giant panda in the wild . They're China's natural treasure, but threats from humans have left just 1,600 giant pandas in the wild. High in the mountains of western China, the rarest member of the bear family plays a critical role in facilitating the growth and vegetation of the bamboo forests these placid beasts inhabit. How to do it: Given the difficulty of spotting giant pandas in the wild, only a small number of tour operators exist. The WWF-partnered Natural Habitat Adventures' Wild Side of China tour (13 days from $9,595 per person; +1 303 449 3711) includes a visit to China's Chengdu Giant Panda Base and rare access to a panda sanctuary to search for them in the wild. Sarah Reid is a travel writer who has contributed to Lonely Planet publications, Cosmopolitan and Spa Secrets.
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You can swim alongside rare whale sharks in the Philippines .
African wildebeest among great migrating animals under threat .
Gorillas can still be seen in Congo -- for now .
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By . Paul Newman . Follow @@Paul_NewmanDM . Alastair Cook paid tribute to the togetherness of the England side after admitting that they had hit ‘rock bottom’ after defeat in the second Test at Lord’s. The England captain came under considerable fire after India took a 1-0 lead in the series but the transformation since has been remarkable, with England winning well at Southampton and then thrillingly at Old Trafford yesterday by taking nine wickets in the final session of the third day. ‘We stuck together as a team,’ said Cook, who has answered doubts about his leadership in impressive style. ‘When we went 1-0 down we still thought we had a chance of winning the series because there were three games left. Back on top: Alastair Cook offers his applause to the supporters as England beat India at Old Trafford . Glad that's over: Cook came under fire for his leadership after England went 1-0 down in the series . ‘We were pretty much at rock bottom at Lord’s but the younger guys had done well and it was just a question of the senior guys stepping up to the plate, which we’ve done now. It was a question of believing.’ Cook revealed that Stuart Broad had sent the team a congratulatory message from hospital where he was having X-rays and scans on his nose and cheekbones after being struck a fearful blow through his helmet by Varun Aaron. ‘I think he’s got a broken nose but I’ve no idea yet whether he can play at The Oval,’ said Cook. ‘We’re just waiting to see if there’s any damage to his cheekbones. It was a nasty blow. ‘We got on a roll after tea but you don’t often get nine wickets in a session,’ said Cook. ‘But when we got five wickets we knew we’d get the job done tonight.’ All smiles: Cook came out on top in the end and will be happy with England's superb performance .
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Skipper came under fire after India took 1-0 series lead .
But he has led turnaround and England are 2-1 up going into final test .
Cook says the team stuck together to come through the bad times .
Stuart Broad sent the team a congratulatory message from hospital .
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By . Tim Shipman . PUBLISHED: . 18:10 EST, 25 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:03 EST, 25 September 2012 . Call for investigation: David Davis said it was 'highly unusual' for a senior official to be involved in the detail of an industrial deal . A leading Tory yesterday heaped pressure on Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood over his role in the controversial European merger of defence giant BAE. David Davis said the Defence Select Committee – which is probing the proposed link up between BAE and civil aviation firm EADS – should question Britain’s top mandarin, saying it was ‘highly unusual’ for such a senior official to be involved in the detail of an industrial deal. Sir Jeremy’s role has raised eyebrows since he worked for four years at Morgan Stanley, the investment bank advising BAE Systems on the £28billion merger with the Franco-German firm. The Mail revealed earlier this week that he has held four private meetings with BAE over the last 15 months, plus two with Morgan Stanley and another with EADS – which will control 60 per cent of the new firm. Mr Davis said it ‘would be a good idea’ for Sir Jeremy to give evidence to the select committee. He added: ‘I do think it’s highly unusual for someone as senior as the Cabinet Secretary to be involved in a deal like this. ‘You can imagine senior staff in the Department of Business and the Ministry of Defence taking an interest but quite why the Cabinet Secretary is involved, I’m not at all sure. It’s not something that’s within his purview. ‘I’m sure he’s been utterly proper and obeyed all the rules but the worry is that the judge of whether a civil servant has behaved appropriately is the Cabinet Secretary himself. It would have made more sense if he had delegated to other officials.’ MPs on the Defence Select Committee . say they are seeking to call senior officials from Downing Street and . the Ministry of Defence to give evidence about the deal. Collaboration: BAE,which may be merged with aviation firm EADS, helped to build the Eurofighter . Sources . close to Sir Jeremy said he would be prepared to appear before the . committee but said the onus would be on the MPs to submit a formal . invitation. Yesterday Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg backed the deal, saying it would further the cause of European defence integration. His intervention is also controversial since it pre-empts a decision by Business Secretary Vince Cable about whether to refer the merger to the Competition Commission. And his call for European defence . cooperation will be a red rag to many Tories, who fear the deal will see . Britain’s biggest defence firm fall partly under the control of the . French and German governments, which own shares in EADS. 'Backing the bid': Prime Minister David Cameron . In . an interview with Bloomberg Television, Mr Clegg said: ‘The two . companies are making a case, a strong case, in favour of this merger. ‘I . personally have always been in favour, over time, of greater . consolidation in the European defence industry.’ Mr Clegg’s words will . fuel concerns among Tory MPs that the Government has pre-judged the . affair. Senior officials have already revealed that David Cameron is backing the bid as long as he receives reassurances that it will not damage relations with the Americans, who are concerned military secrets will be compromised. And Mr Cable made clear he had no objection in principle when he told a Lib Dem fringe meeting on Monday he didn’t ‘worry about foreign ownership’ of British companies – although he refused to comment on the specifics of the deal. Former shadow home secretary Mr Davis said: ‘They shouldn’t be briefing anything until the bid has been through the proper process. This calls for cool, measured judgment first and activity later, not the other way around.’ He added: ‘It’s very hard to see the French allowing their primary defence company to fall into foreign ownership. ‘This is very old-fashioned industrial politics, the idea that you bring big companies together to make even bigger companies. It has been a proven fallacy since the days of British Leyland.' A spokesman for the Cabinet Secretary insisted it was ‘standard practice’ for him to show an interest in a deal involving a major government contractor like BAE. He added: ‘He is not the lead official on this, his role is no different from the role he plays on other major issues requiring high level ministerial involvement and coordination across departments.’
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Concerns over Sir Jeremy Heywood's role in proposed £28billion link up between BAE and EADS .
Mr Davis said it is 'highly unusual' for such a senior official to be involved in the detail of an industrial deal .
Mr Heywood worked for four years at Morgan Stanley, .
the bank advising BAE Systems on the merger .
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By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 08:10 EST, 23 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:09 EST, 23 January 2013 . Police in a Utah town dominated by one of the largest polygamous sects in the U.S. have been stopping women from leaving, according to a top lawman. Arizona's attorney general Tom Horne yesterday announced a criminal probe of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and the Marshal's Office, which serves as a small police force in the twin polygamous towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona. During a news conference held in Phoenix, Mr Horne also announced that a 26-year-old woman had been granted temporary custody of her six children and had fled the town of Colorado City, the home base of the FLDS. Arizona attorney general Tom Horne, left, and Ruby Jessop, rear centre, and her six children during the news conference where he announced a probe into a polygamist sect along the Utah-Arizona border . Hildale, Utah sits at the base of red rock cliff mountains with its sister town, Colorado City. Arizona attorney general Tom Horne says police there work with the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to stop women leaving . He said she was forced by by its jailed leader Warren Jeffs to marry her brother-in-law at the age of 14, and had since been virtually held captive in the town on the Utah-Arizona border, along with many other women who want to leave. 'What they do is say, "Everybody watch her so she won't run away". Then she can't leave,' Horne said. 'Women who wanted to escape have been forcibly held by the marshals against their will.' Attorneys for the two towns and the Marshal's Office adamantly denied the charges, calling Horne's words 'inflammatory'. 'I can't speak for the FLDS but the bottom line is the Marshal's Office absolutely does not hold people against their will,' said lawyer Blake Hamilton. 'The Arizona attorney general, as the highest ranking law enforcement official in Arizona, ought not be making those statements unless he has evidence of it. 'It's just absolutely not true,' Hamilton said. Free: Ruby Jessop, who was helped to leave a polygamist sect along the Utah-Arizona border . The church does not have a spokesperson to speak on its behalf, and Jeffs, who is said to still rule the sect, is jailed for life in Texas after convictions on child sex and bigamy charges. Horne fought last year for a bill in the Arizona Legislature aimed at abolishing the Marshal's Office in Colorado City, and replacing law enforcement there with deputies from the Mohave County Sheriff's Office. It failed to pass, so he allocated funds to provide for limited patrols by deputies but says the money will soon run out, and he is again asking the Legislature to take up the bill. Flora Jessop (left) embraces her sister Ruby as they listen to Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne's concerns over the Mormon church . Horne was joined at Tuesday's news conference by Flora Jessop, a vocal critic of the FLDS who fled the church in 1986. She was flanked by her sister, Ruby Jessop, and the woman's six young children. Flora Jessop said her sister, who did not speak Tuesday, had been held captive by the FLDS for years, undergoing sexual and mental abuse at the hands of her husband while not being allowed to leave with her kids. Ruby Jessop finally fled last year, and recently won temporary custody of her children who were being held 'hostage' by the sect, Flora Jessop said. 'It's a good day for freedom,' she said. Mohave County Sheriff Tom Sheahan said his agency also is involved in a criminal investigation of the FLDS and the Marshal's Office. He described authorities there as 'security guards for the FLDS church.'. Polygamist Warren Steed Jeffs before he was sentenced to life in prison on bigamy and child sex charges (left) and in court (right) 'They are corrupt and work only for the FLDS and Warren Jeffs,' Sheahan said. He said it's a dangerous situation for his deputies to be patrolling Colorado City without the cooperation of local law enforcement from the Marshal's Office. 'They are not our allies,' Sheahan said. 'I wouldn't trust them as backup for our deputies.' The FLDS Church teaches that a man having multiple wives is ordained by God and is a requirement for a man to receive the highest form of salvation. It is generally believed in the church that a man should have a minimum of three wives to fulfill this requirement. Wives are required to be subordinate to their husbands. The church has come under fire over allegations of sexual and mental abuse of wives and underage polygamous marriages. There are said to be over 30,000 people practising polygamy in Utah, Idaho, Montana and Arizona, even though it is illegal. Another attorney who represents Colorado City called the allegations outlandish, and said the Marshal's Office works well with Mohave County deputies. 'The Marshal's Office welcomes the presence of the sheriff's deputies because it provides them with backup,' said lawyer Jeff Matura. 'The more police service, the better protection for everyone.' Last year, the U.S. Justice Department sued Colorado City and Hildale, claiming discrimination against residents who are not FLDS members. Arizona also has a similar ongoing civil lawsuit against Colorado City. The criminal probe announced Tuesday by Horne and Sheahan mirrors the one that landed Jeffs in prison. After receiving a complaint of child abuse, Texas authorities in 2008 raided the FLDS' Yearning for Zion Ranch. The move led to a chaotic roundup of 400 children living at the secretive location in what became one of the largest custody cases in U.S. history. All of the children were eventually returned but 11 men - including Jeffs and other high-ranking FLDS lieutenants - were arrested on charges of sexual assault or bigamy and later convicted. Members of the sect are escorted onto a bus in Eldorado, Texas after a raid on a compound built by Warren Jeffs, jailed leader of The Fundamentalist Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints .
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Arizona Attorney General claims sect is holding women against their will .
He says police in Hildale and Colorado City are holding the women .
Marshal's office in Mormon stronghold strongly denies the claim .
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Washington (CNN) -- The Navy captain who produced profanity- and slur-laden videos while second in charge of the USS Enterprise will be permanently relieved of his command of the ship, a top Navy commander said Tuesday. The Navy will also investigate the role other senior officers played in the video scandal, Adm. John Harvey, commander of the U.S. Fleet Forces Command, said. "While Capt. Honors' performance as commanding officer of USS Enterprise has been without incident, his profound lack of good judgment and professionalism while previously serving as executive officer on Enterprise calls into question his character and completely undermines his credibility to continue to serve effectively in command," Harvey said, reading from a prepared statement. He did not take questions. Honors will be replaced by Capt. Dee Mewbourne, a former aircraft carrier commander who currently serves as chief of staff for the Navy Cyber Forces, Harvey said. Honors has been reassigned to administrative duties with the Naval Air Force Atlantic command, Harvey said. Excerpts from the videos and descriptions of their content were first published Saturday by The Virginian-Pilot newspaper in Norfolk, Virginia. The videos on the paper's website, reviewed by CNN, feature a man identified by two Navy officials and The Virginian-Pilot as Honors, who at the time was the executive officer, or second in command, of the aircraft carrier. He recently took command of the carrier, winning one of the most coveted assignments in the U.S. Navy, which has only 11 aircraft carriers. Navy spokesman Cmdr. Chris Sims said the videos, which were shown to the crew of the Enterprise while on deployment supporting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, are "inappropriate." Honors is shown cursing along with other members of his staff in an attempt to demonstrate humor, according to the videos. There are also anti-gay slurs, simulated sex acts, and what appear to be two female sailors in a shower together. The investigation was ordered Friday by Harvey, the four-star head of the Navy's Fleet Forces Command, after the videos were detailed in The Virginian-Pilot. The paper also posted a link to some of the material, but edited it so that expletives were censored and some identities of junior Navy crew were disguised. "After personally reviewing the videos created while serving as executive officer, I have lost confidence in Capt. Honors' ability to lead effectively, and he is being held accountable for poor judgment and the inappropriate actions demonstrated in the videos that were created while he served as executive officer on Enterprise," Harvey said. Harvey said that investigators will continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the production and distribution of the videos, which were shown to the Enterprise's 6,000-member crew over a two-year stretch. He said the investigation will look at "the actions of other senior officers who knew of the videos and the actions they took in response." The Pentagon said Tuesday that Defense Secretary Robert Gates knows about the bawdy videos but is leaving the fate of Honors up to senior Navy leaders. "The Navy leadership is fully capable of handling this issue and taking appropriate action. It is not something that requires the secretary of defense," Col. Dave Lapan, Pentagon spokesman, told an off-camera question-and-answer session. "I don't know if the secretary has been briefed on it. I know he is aware of it," Lapan said. He said Gates was not involved in the decision-making process over whether Honors would remain in command of the Enterprise. CNN left a message for Honors on Saturday. The Virginian-Pilot said he did not respond to requests for comment. The Navy issued a statement Saturday, saying, in part, "production of videos, like the ones produced four to five years ago on USS Enterprise and now being written about in the Virginian-Pilot, were not acceptable then and are still not acceptable in today's Navy. The Navy does not endorse or condone these kinds of actions." The statement also said, "U.S. Fleet Forces Command has initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the production of these videos; however, it would be inappropriate to comment any further on the specifics of the investigation." But the Saturday statement was an about-face from the initial military statement to the newspaper. In that statement, the Navy said the videos were "not created with the intent to offend anyone. The videos were intended to be humorous skits focusing the crew's attention on specific issues such as port visits, traffic safety, water conservation, ship cleanliness, etc." Sims said senior officers had not yet seen the videos when they issued the first statement. It was after viewing them that the investigation was ordered, he said. When the videos first came to light the "leadership" of the Enterprise was "directed" to make certain future videos were appropriate, the Navy said. Sims said he was not aware if Honors was ever reprimanded. In the videos, Honors repeatedly jokes that his superior officers were unaware of the content of the videos and "they should absolutely not be held accountable." The Virginian-Pilot says the videos were shown over the ship's internal broadcast system. Lapan, while trying to avoid commenting directly on the Honors episode, defended how the military identifies and punishes inappropriate behavior. "While incidents like this, allegations like this draw a lot of attention, they are still relatively few and far between in terms of the millions of service members in service doing the right thing. And we have processes in place throughout the military services to handle actions that are inappropriate or rise to higher levels," he said. "There are always going to be people who do things they shouldn't be doing and those people will be held accountable. The system works," Lapan said. The Enterprise videos, which include slurs against gays and lesbians, coincide with Defense Department preparations to implement last month's congressional repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that banned homosexuals from serving openly in the military. "Those types of comments were inappropriate before the law was repealed," Lapan said. "There's a service culture across all the services of treating everyone with dignity and respect, and inappropriate comments aren't acceptable at one point of time and unacceptable several months later because there has been a change in the law," he added. CNN's Charley Keyes contributed to this report.
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NEW: Navy investigators will look at the role other officers played in the video scandal .
NEW: Admiral: the videos demonstrated Capt. Owen Honors' "profound lack of good judgment"
Honors will be permanently relieved of his command of the USS Enterprise .
Raunchy videos were shown to the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise .
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By . Riath Al-Samarrai . Follow @@riathalsam . Last September, a tennis coach got on a plane for Los Angeles and started a two-day conversation that might just give the men’s game the shake-up it’s been waiting for, and might just cause Andy Murray a sleepless night. That coach was Roger Rasheed, a former Aussie Rules footballer and known gut-buster, and the prodigy he spoke to was Grigor Dimitrov, the then 22-year-old from a tough street in Bulgaria who had grown tired of his own hype. ‘He phoned me one day,’ Rasheed told Sportsmail. ‘I had watched him since he was 16. I had seen what he has to bring, his abilities. We agreed to meet.’ VIDEO Scroll down to watch Grigor Dimitrov save a fainting ball girl during his tennis match . Ready: Grigor Dimitrov thinks he is ready to break the mould after growing tired of his own hype . Return: Dimitrov has changed his opinion since 2011 and now wants to get rid of the Baby Fed label . Big hit: Dimitrov proved too flamboyant for his own good at times and had his controversies . Mats Wilander, the seven-time Grand Slam winner, tells Sportsmail what he makes of Grigor Dimitrov. 'I see Dimitrov as a Slam winner,' he says. 'The improvements he has made in the past year are obvious, though it wasn't obvious he would take the step up. 'I'd say he is at the front of the new players coming through. 'He is like a raw Roger Federer - not as polished but he has an excellent all-round game on all courts. 'He is a threat to Andy Murray and the rest already.' Dimitrov was the teenage star with the elegant style who in a three-month period in 2008 won the junior events at the US Open and Wimbledon. His former coach Peter Lundgren, who had once mentored Roger Federer, had said that at 18 he was further up the curve than the Swiss who won the lot. That’s where the Baby Fed tag came from; Dimitrov was flattered and quite liked it. ‘It’s great to hear,’ he said in June 2011. ‘I can hear this all day, put a ringtone on my phone, but you can’t compare the greatest player of all time to a dude that is 64 in the world.’ By the time Rasheed got on a plane in Australia, Dimitrov had won zero senior titles and the Baby Fed label annoyed him. He had reached the top 30 — and unwittingly played a part in a feud between Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams, having dated both — but a player with that all-round game was deemed to be underachieving. He had all the shots but was often too flamboyant for his own good and he had been fined €2,000 in 2010 for shoving an umpire at a Challenger event. Comparison: Dimitrov has often been called 'Baby Fed' after Swiss master Roger Federer . Loosening up: Federer has a hit on the practice courts on the Middle Sunday of the Championships . Chilling: Federer talks to his coach Stefan Edberg during practice at Aorangi Park on Sunday . There were also suggestions that his fitness was not what it could be, a point underlined by Ivan Lendl last year: ‘That guy comes out so hot but we know he can’t sustain it. If he could he would be No 1 in the world.’ Perhaps those words were in his mind when he picked up the phone to Rasheed. ‘He saw he needed to make some legitimate changes,’ said Rasheed, who had worked with Lleyton Hewitt, Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. ‘I have strong philosophies on what sort of people I want to work with — people with a genuine fuel for life. I flew to LA from Australia. We spoke a lot over two days before I flew back. 'I always ask “What do you want out of this?” Straight out he says he wants to be the No 1 player in the world. Right answer.’ Dimitrov has since won his first four senior titles. On Friday he twice fought back from a set down to beat Alexandr Dolgopolov in a five-set match. Shape: There were suggestions of Dimitrov's fitness and Ivan Lendl said he knew 'he can't sustain' Change: The best way for Dimitrov to respond to criticism of his fitness and attitude was on the court . His interviews have been dominated by his mentions of Rasheed and his new-found ability to endure fights that reach the later rounds; his irritation has been obvious when questions then turn to Sharapova and that Baby Fed nickname. ‘I think it’s time for everyone to kind of come up with something better,’ he said on Friday. ‘I’m proving myself not only as a player but as a person outside of the court.’ That person, it is said by those around him, is desperately competitive, a man whose lifelong refusal to drink alcohol has bemused a woman even as driven as Sharapova. Much of it boils down to his upbringing as the only child of an ambitious tennis coach father, Dimitar, and a mother, Maria, who played high-level volleyball. By five years old he was playing matches. He describes home, a remote area in Haskovo, as being in a ‘tough neighbourhood — there was a lot of poverty’. Partner: Dimitrov and girlfriend Maria Sharapova out and about enjoying the London sunshine . On the march: French Open champion Sharapova has cruised through the first week of the Championships . Roar: Rasheed thinks 'it's time for everyone to kind of come up with something better' than Baby Fed . VIDEO Wimbledon: Day 6 roundup . Rasheed said: ‘His family are genuine, hard-working people, respectful people who respect everyone. He is a copy of them. They respect the king and they would respect the person who picks up the garbage on Sunday. ‘The work ethic is very important. You have to understand how hard he had to work to come through like he did. ‘Bulgaria is not somewhere where you have a pool of players to compete against and push you on. He found a way to do it without that. ‘He has that drive. I’ve seen what he’s about when he trains. We have pushed him to some pretty unstable points — that’s a hard place but a great place. But he has a look in his eyes. He loves it. It’s what he wants.’ Change: Rasheed says Dimitrov is hard working and respectful, much like the family life he comes from . The upshot is a place in the fourth round against Leonardo Mayer, the world No 59, then he faces a quarter-final against Murray if all goes to script. He beat the Wimbledon champion earlier this year and it is a potential tie that fascinates observers of the game. No sport cries out for a new wave of champions quite like tennis; no player from that group of possible contenders carries quite the same weight of expectation as Dimitrov. The question is whether his time has come. Is it? Dimitrov needs to make his chances count and the question is whether his time has come .
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Grigor Dimitrov wants to get rid of 'Baby Fed' branding .
Nickname came from former coach Peter Lundgren, who mentored Roger Federer, and said Dimitrov at 18 was furhter down line than the Swiss .
Sportsmail talk to Rasheed about Bulgarian Dimitriov .
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By . Lizzie Edmonds . PUBLISHED: . 04:01 EST, 21 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:44 EST, 21 December 2013 . Distraught: Singer Ian 'H' Watkins, pictured, has been confused for the convicted paedophile with the same name for a second time . Pop star Ian 'H' Watkins tweeted his anger after he was mistaken for his Lostprophets namesake for a second time. Last month, a picture of the former Steps singer was mistakenly used on celebrity website E! Online instead of the disgraced paedophile rock singer. Former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins . was jailed for 35 years at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday for a string . of child sex offences. 'H' received a High Court apology from US parent company E! Entertainment Television in London yesterday. But last night the singer tweeted his . anger after another article appeared online alongside his photograph. The second incident was nothing to do with E! Online. 'H' posted a screen-grab from Google showing a CBS News story about the sentencing of the former Lostprophets singer alongside his photo, with a caption from BBC News. Watkins said on Twitter: 'I can't actually tell you how angry and upset I am right now. 'SORT THIS OUT @CBSNews @google !!!! I am very upset ... Again !!!' He later posted, 'So, it seems @CBSNews are not to blame..... My lawyers are now dealing with @google' Yesterday H's agent told The Mirror: 'Ian is astonished that in spite of yesterday's public apology from E! Online, Google have now created far more damaging and far-reaching false and defamatory coverage linking our client to the appalling crimes of the Lostprophets singer. 'His solicitors are taking immediate and determined steps to urgently rectify the position.' A Google spokesman said yesterday they were looking into the issue and today said it had been resolved. A court yesterday heard Watkins had already been 'receiving abuse as a result of people confusing the two Ian Watkins' before the initial error over the photograph was made on November 27. Distress: The singer took to Twitter to vent his anger at the mistake last night . Mistake: The singer's photo appeared next to a CBS News article, pictured. The Steps star tweeted this image of the mistake . Convicted: Lost Prophets singer Ian Watkins was sentenced to 35 years in prison this week for a string of sex offences . His solicitor John Reid told the judge . that the defendant, E! Entertainment Television, 'reported the guilty . plea of Ian Watkins of the Lostprophets in an article on E! Online.' He . added: 'However, the defendant mistakenly included a photograph of the . claimant, Ian 'H' Watkins of Steps, instead of Ian Watkins of the . Lostprophets.' He said: 'The error quickly came to the attention of the defendant, which promptly replaced the photograph with the correct one.' Mr Reid told the judge that the defendant also promptly added an editor's note to the article, stating: 'This story was originally published with an image of Ian 'H Watkins of the band Steps rather than Ian Watkins of the Lostprophets. E! Online deeply regrets this error.' E! Entertainment Television also promptly emailed and telephoned his management to apologise. Solicitor Timothy Pinto told the judge that, on behalf of the defendant, he confirmed everything said by Mr Reid 'and apologises for the distress and damage caused by the publication of the photograph'. Last night, celebrity friends of 'H' showed support for the singer. Singer Michelle Heaton said: 'It's disgusting how anyone can make a huge mistake like that.'
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Pop star Ian 'H' Watkins first mistaken for the paedophile last month .
E! Online ran article about disgraced rocker with picture of Steps star .
'H' received a High Court apology for the mistake in court yesterday .
But last night 'H' tweeted his anger after his image was used on CBS News in article about Watkins' sentencing .
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By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 18:37 EST, 4 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:40 EST, 5 April 2013 . A speaker drew applause from mourners at the funeral of a district attorney and his wife who were shot dead, when he said of their killers: 'Chase 'em down. Go get 'em. Bring 'em to justice... Take them out of the hole they come from.' Chris Heisler made the remarks as he led an emotional memorial service on Thursday for Mike and Cynthia McLelland who were murdered in their Texas home near Forney last Saturday. Loved ones remembered the couple's love, warmth and public service as police continue to hunt for their killers. Dozens of law enforcement officers and . public officials, including Texas Governor Rick Perry, were among the . hundreds who attended the service. Scroll down for video . Grief: Shirley Woodward, mother of Cynthia McLelland, holds a flag after a memorial service for her daughter and son-in-law DA Mike McLelland on Thursday. The couple were shot dead on Saturday at their home in Texas . Honored: An image of Kaufman County DA Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia is unveiled beside their coffin at a memorial service in Mesquite, Texas on Thursday . According to CNN, an affidavit on Thursday revealed further details of the investigations into the couple's deaths. Friends reportedly found the bodies of the DA and his wife after going to their home on Saturday evening, having not heard from them in almost 24 hours. They were found with multiple gunshot wounds. Police have requested phone records for the McLellands for the last two months to see if more can be discovered about the days leading up to the fatal attack. At their funeral service on Thursday, Mr and Mrs McLelland shared a single, flag-draped casket inside the suburban church. McLelland had addressed many of the . same people two months earlier, after the slaying of Mark Hasse, one of . his prosecutors. Hasse was gunned down near the Kaufman County . courthouse while going to work. The deaths are feared to be planned attacks by violent white supremacist gang, the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. McLelland was pivotal in the prosecution of a senior member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas last year who received two life terms following a shoot out. No arrests have been made in either case. The reward for information leading to a conviction has been doubled to $200,000. Mrs McLelland's remains were cremated and placed inside the coffin with the body of her husband, the Kaufman County district attorney. Friends and colleagues at the service described the couple as the perfect mismatch: an outgoing Army veteran known for his wit and humor, and a quieter partner who loved quilting and supported her husband's work. Christina Foreman, one of the five children the couple shared, said both her mother and stepfather 'loved . every minute' of their public service. She challenged the audience to . stand up for what they believe in. Fears: District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia were gunned down at their ranch-style bungalow on Saturday . Tragic day: An honor guard moves the remains of of the murdered couple. Police are still hunting for their killer . Sorrow: Texas Governor Rick Perry takes a flag to present to the family of Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia. He added $100,000 to the reward for finding the couple's killer . Ms Foreman said:' They would have done it exactly the same way, because Mike believed in making a difference.' Bruce Bryant, chief investigator for the district attorney's office, broke down in tears as he remembered his former boss. 'We will not stop pursuing justice,' Mr Bryant said. 'We will not give up the good fight. We will not stop doing God's work. We will pause only to celebrate the lives of those we have lost, but we will not stop.' Surrounding the McLellands' casket were mementos of their life together - portraits, a soldier's jacket from Mike McLelland's Army service and a quilt to commemorate one of Cynthia's favorite hobbies. Two officers stood watch as dozens more sat in the audience. Officers in the balcony behind the stage could be seen raising white-gloved hands to their eyes during the service. Governor Perry said he had spoken to McLelland weeks earlier at the state Capitol in Austin. Perry credited both McLellands for their public service - Mike as a 20-year Army veteran and district attorney and Cynthia as a nurse who worked at a state hospital. Perry said both were aware of the dangers of the district attorney's job. Final salute: A police officer salutes as mourners file one-by-one past the remains of Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia . Emotional tribute: Texas Governor Rick Perry spoke of the couple's public service as hundreds attended a memorial today . 'It's an art form. It's a calling, and one of the more difficult ones, I imagine,' Perry said in a quiet, sometimes halting voice. Perry later presented Mrs McLelland's mother Shirley Woodward with the flag which she clasped close to her. Kaufman County Judge Bruce Wood, the county's chief administrative official, said he got to know Mike McLelland while the two were campaigning for office three years ago. 'I knew immediately how intelligent he was,' Wood said. 'But he was quite a character too.' Friends remembered Mike ribbing a pastor about the length of his sermons and Cynthia repeatedly going back to one store to buy gifts for relatives and friends. They also recalled Mike running a tough campaign for district attorney - and his drive to prosecute criminals and pursue justice. 'If Cynthia was all warmth and motherhood, Mike was a warrior,' Bryant said. Distraught: Flags fly at half-staff at the Kaufman County Law Enforcement Center as the small Texas community mourned the murders of the district attorney and his wife . In the months after Hasse was killed, McLelland began to carry a gun everywhere and took extra caution when answering his door. He told The Associated Press in an interview shortly before his death that he was warning his employees that they needed to be more cautious as well. 'The people in my line of work are going to have to get better at it,' he said of dealing with the danger, 'because they're going to need it more in the future'. Several people on Thursday remembered that spirit of persistence and defiance. Standing in front of the casket, Foreman told the audience they had a responsibility not to let fear stop them from fighting to do right thing. She said she believed her mother and stepfather had prepared her for this moment, when she and her siblings must go on without them. 'The right thing is never easy,' Foreman said. She added: 'And he knew that. And he stood up anyway.'
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Mike and Cynthia McLelland shared a single, flag-draped casket inside a suburban church in Texas .
Daughter Christina Foreman challenged mourners to stand up for what they believe in .
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By . Martin Robinson . ITV's unfortunate tradition of missing vital World Cup goals continued last night after its online service stopped working as Brazil's Neymar scored a penalty, furious viewers said. ITV Player's live coverage cut out at least twice in the second half of the host's match with Croatia, including as the tournament favourites went 2-1 up in Sao Paulo. The broadcaster blamed 'unprecedented numbers of users' for the crash - but refused to tell MailOnline how many had been watching. In 2010 ITV was forced to apologise after it missed England's first World Cup goal against the United States, after it accidentally showed a car advert instead. Scroll down for video . On the blink... and you missed it: Viewers complained that they missed Neymar's penalty last night after ITV Player stopped working during the second half of Brazil vs Croatia in Sao Paulo . Tough to take: Fans who have waited four years for the World Cup to start were furious to have missed some of the opening fixture . More than a million watching its HD service saw Glen Johnson's fourth minute throw in - but the game disappeared - and then returned with Steven Gerrard running off celebrating. After last night's problems ITV Player users said the broadcasters problems during the tournament is now as much of a 'World Cup tradition as England losing on penalties'. Responding to a barrage of criticism on Twitter, the service said on its feed: 'We're seeing unprecedented numbers of users during the game. 'We apologise for any inconvenience, we're working hard to resume normal service.' It later added: 'We're so sorry for the disruption tonight. It wasn't planned and we know it came at a crucial time during the match. Apologies again.' Several users vented their frustration on the microblogging site. Action replay: Instead of seeing Steven Gerrard scoring in 2010, left, HD viewers were shown an advert, right . Andrew Smith wrote: 'Is everyone else's ITV Player down too? Get it sorted!' Chris O'Callaghan said: 'ITV player, why have you betrayed me?!' Claire Kitson tweeted: 'ITV Player congratulations on picking the worst time to do maintenance on your website! Would it have killed you to wait 15 minutes?' An ITV spokesman said: 'Due to unprecedented numbers of users during this game we are currently experiencing some technical problems with our live coverage via ITV Player on PC/Mac. 'We are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible and apologise for any inconvenience caused.' ITV's first night of World Cup coverage was beset with other problems as protesters hurled rocks at its beach-side studio. Pundits (from left to right): Lee Dixon, Fabio Cannavaro, Patrick Vieira and Adrian Chiles in the ITV studio as it was attacked . Angry supporters pelted the studio, which was situated next to Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, so hard it smashed sections of the glass frontage . Protesters gathered outside the ITV studio - next to Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro - with banners that read 'Fifa go home' A gang on Copacabana beach pelted the studio with stones and smashed sections of the glass frontage. ITV host Adrian Chiles was inside the . studio at the time of the attack, along with several pundits including . ex-Arsenal and England right-back Lee Dixon, former Italy centre-back . Fabio Cannavaro and 1998 World Cup winner Patrick Vieira.
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Viewers complain ITV Player crashed as Neymar stepped up to score penalty .
Broadcaster missed an England World Cup goal in 2010 after going to advert .
Fans say errors now 'as traditional as England losing on penalties'
ITV apologised and blamed 'unprecedented numbers of users during game'
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(CNN) -- Jon Meacham is quick with a quip when asked why he decided to write a biography of Andrew Jackson. Andrew Jackson is the president of his time who is "most like us," says biographer Jon Meacham. "Any president who tried to attack his own assassin is worth writing about," Meacham says. But Meacham quickly turns serious when tallying the seventh president's historical importance -- and personal flaws. "He is the president [of his era] most like us," the Newsweek editor says in a phone interview from Charleston, South Carolina. "He was capable of great grace, but he could also be terribly cruel. ... In his complexities, I saw our own." It's those kinds of contradictions that have kept historians revisiting Jackson for the past 175 years, and got Meacham going on "American Lion" (Random House). Jackson was the first president not from Virginia or Massachusetts, a frontiersman and general not connected to the Founding Fathers or Washington aristocracy. He was viewed with distaste by some, admiration by others. Some Washington colleagues, including Kentucky congressman Henry Clay, believed he was little more than an erratically tempered hick with dictatorial impulses. "I cannot believe that the killing of 2,000 Englishmen at New Orleans qualifies a person for the various difficult and complicated duties of the Presidency," Clay once said, referring to Jackson's victory at the 1815 Battle of New Orleans. But he also was the subject of hero worship among citizens who admired him for his military leadership, his steadfast loyalty to national ideals, and the fact that he wasn't what would now be called a "Washington insider." Meacham, who had access to a trove of heretofore-unreleased letters from Jackson intimates, sees him as closer to the latter. "He could use his passions and temper to his ends, or he wouldn't have been president," Meacham says. "I don't believe he could have been president, even in 1828, if he were a wild man." Jackson obviously still inspires fascination today. Meacham's biography has been high on the New York Times bestseller list since it came out in mid-November. As portrayed by Meacham, the president was not without wounds. Some were psychological: He "never recovered from being an orphaned little boy," says Meacham. Some were political: He saw himself as the victim of a "corrupt bargain" in the 1824 election, in which he had won a plurality -- but not a majority -- of popular and electoral votes in a four-way race. By law, the election was thrown to the House of Representatives, where the presidency was awarded to John Quincy Adams (with, Jackson believed, the conniving of Henry Clay, who became Adams' secretary of state). And some were both. Jackson married his wife, Rachel, before she was officially divorced from her first husband, unbeknownst to either of them; when she died at 51 just after the 1828 election of a heart attack, Jackson blamed the stress on the attacks of the national press, which had found out about her past. Indeed, Jackson's own health was often questioned, and some observers wondered if he would survive his first term. A number of Jackson's policies still bother historians, most notably his instigation of "Indian removal," which forced Native American tribes from their homes east of the Mississippi River. Ironically, Jackson was friendly with a number of Native chiefs, but he was determined to open their lands to white settlement. But Meacham finds much to admire in the seventh president. Though a religious man, he was a strong believer in the separation of church and state, "which was unusual for a man of his background," Meacham says. (He also didn't trust ministers; during his first term, one reason for a cabinet crisis was a clergyman's whispering sanctimony.) And Jackson's passion came in handy, whether in shutting down the Bank of the United States (which he saw as a rival power center and a tool of the wealthy) or simply staying alive. When a deranged painter attempted to shoot him near the U.S. Capitol in 1835, Jackson -- as Meacham says -- attacked the man. (He also won a duel in 1806, killing a man named Charles Dickinson; he carried Dickinson's bullet in his chest for the rest of his 78 years.) This was also the man who, upon leaving office in 1837, purportedly said he had only two regrets: "that I have not shot Henry Clay or hanged [former Jackson vice president] John C. Calhoun." Though duels are no longer in vogue, Meacham says Jackson can still provide a template for the new occupant of the White House. Indeed, he says, Barack Obama would be wise to use Jackson's most noble passion: his belief in the power of the common man, which to Jackson was more than mere words. "As long as our government is administered for the good of the people, and is regulated by their will; as long as it secures to us the rights of persons and of property, liberty of conscience, and of the press, it will be worth defending," Jackson once observed. "[Obama should] keep people connected," says Meacham. "People want to be a part of things."
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President Andrew Jackson subject of new biography, "American Lion"
Seventh president a man of contradictions, also modern in many ways .
Author Jon Meacham finds much to admire in Jackson's passion .
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By . Jonathan Block . Riann Manser and his girlfriend, Vasti Geldenhuys, reached Miami Wednesday in their small, but high-tech rowboat, bringing an end to a trip that began in late December in Morocco. Manser told CBS News that he and Geldenhous collectively took about a million strokes to make the journey across the Atlantic Ocean. And the voyage wasn't always smooth, as in February, the boat capsized, trapping Geldenhuys underneath it for a short time. Vasti Geldenhuys (left) and her boyfriend, Riann Manser, aboard their 23-foot-long rowboat, the 'Spirit of Madiba' Vasti Geldenhuys poses for a photo aboard the rowboat in the open sea on January 11 . The 105-day, 5,000-mile journey started on Dec. 30, 2013 in Morocco and ended Wednesday in Miami . 'You have to be willing to give everything, and that even includes your life,' Manser said. 'After the first day of rowing, I collapsed in that cabin, and I thought, I can't do this. This is too tough,' Geldenhuys said. As to why the couple made the arduous journey, they say it was a desire to visit New York City. And after a few days of rest in Miami, they will set off again for the Big Apple before returning to South Africa. The couple set sail on Dec. 30, 2013 from Agadir, Morocco aboard the 'Spirit of Madiba,' a 23-foot-long boat named after the late former South African President Nelson Mandela. They had no support boats accompanying them. Three weeks later, they reached the Canary Islands. Riann Manser (left) gives the thumbs up as he and Vasti Geldenhuys arrive in Miami on Wednesday . Riaan Manser (right) and his longtime girlfriend, Vasti Geldenhuys, pose during sunset early in their voyage on January 1 . After that, it was two and half months of open water until they reached the Bahamas. 'You get this quiet time, and the sun is setting, and there's like pink and blue and white fluffy clouds, and it's just so quiet,' Geldenhuys said. Just before the couple reached Miami, they embraced with a hug and a kiss. 'If Vasti wasn't with me, I wouldn't have been able to have this moment,' Manser said. And the couple said they are looking forward to their first regular meal in more than 100 days. 'A big hamburger with bacon, cheese and anything else that can go on it and a beer and Coke Zero,' Geldenhuys said.
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Riann Manser and Vasti Geldenhuys, both of South Africa, set sail from Morocco at the end of December and arrived in Miami on Wednesday .
The pair was unaided on the journey and had no support boats following them .
Couple wanted to make the trip to go to New York City, where they will sail to in a few days .
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It was billed as a death-defying stunt which was his most dangerous yet and would astonish millions. But David Blaine’s latest feat has been dismissed as having ‘no danger’ by one of the world’s most eminent physicists. Professor John Belcher said he would be happy to take the illusionist’s place even though he was 69 and by nature ‘risk-averse’. Scroll down for live video . Sparks fly: Thousands of volts from the coils stream towards David Blaine and through his steel suit . Protected: David Blaine (left) performs his latest stunt while wearing a specially made helmet. Professor John Belcher (right) says the feat is so safe that even he would do it . Exercises: Twenty-four hours into the three-day stunt, Blaine appeared to be a little uncomfortable and did some stretching . Blaine has been standing in the middle of a million volts of electric current streamed by Tesla coils for his stunt Electrified. They have been sending giant lightning bolts shooting towards him for the three-day event ending tonight. His only protection has been a suit of armour and a specially designed helmet. But the professor, an acclaimed space expert, said his only worry would be getting enough sleep. Bolts from the blue: Blaine has been standing in the middle of a million volts of electric current streamed by Tesia coils for his stunt Electrified . Armour: The illusionist and endurance man was protected from the volts by a suit of chain mail and wire helmet . ‘He has a conducting suit, all the current is going through the suit, nothing through his body,’ he said. ‘There is no danger that I see. I would do it, and I am 69 and risk-averse. I just would have to take a nap.’ He added that the magician was wearing a Faraday suit made of highly conductive stainless steel. Workmen . use one if building high-voltage power lines and amateur physicists . sometimes fashion their own while studying Tesla coils. Materials: Prof Belcher said that Blaine was wearing a Faraday suit made of highly conductive stainless steel . William Allen Zajc, a physicist at Columbia University, was also unimpressed. He said the only notable thing was that Blaine was having to stand for 72 hours. The event in New York also prompted the following post on Twitter: ‘David Blaine electrified... if only.’ So . far, the stunt is going to plan although Blaine suffered an electric . shock in practice when a visor on his helmet touched his nose. Conductor: David Blaine has likened the sensation of being electrocuted to being 'banged very hard on the back of the head' Loved ones: Blaine with his daughter Dessa (left) and fiancee, model Alizee Guionchet (right) VIDEO: Watch David Blaine perform his electricity stunt live . VIDEO: Watch the launch of David Blaine's incredible challenge here!
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Eminent physicist John Belcher says feat has 'no danger'
Blaine's three-day Electrified stunt draws to a close .
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Both . parks have seen 80% rise in visitor numbers . since film was released . By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:16 EST, 2 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:14 EST, 3 August 2012 . A Chinese national park has put up a £10,000 reward to anybody who can prove that it was NOT the inspiration behind Hollywood blockbuster Avatar. Managers at Zhangjiajie . National Forest, Hunan . Province, claim their spectacular sandstone pillars were the inspiration for the 'Hallelujah . Mountains' on Pandora, the film's densely . forested moon setting. However, they already face a challenge from bitter rival Huangshan, the Yellow Mountain Range in southern Anhui province in eastern China, which claims it was the true source of the film. Does the award for Avatar inspiration go to Zhangjiajie National Forest... War of words: Managers at Zhangjiajie National Forest claim their spectacular sandstone pillars were clearly the inspiration for the 'Hallelujah Mountains' on Pandora, the film's densely forested moon setting . ... or the Yellow Mountain Range? Huangshan's Yellow Mountain range in southern Anhui province in eastern China strengthened their claim when the film's director James Cameron said he had based the mountains on their site . Could it be? Rivals at the Yellow Mountain Range beg to differ . Stunning: Both parks have seen a rise in visitor numbers since the film was released . As both claim to have been the source for Avatar's Hallelujah Mountains (below) And from the film: The Hollywood rendering of the mountains in James Cameron's blockbuster film Avatar . Zhangjiajie . spokesman Jian Su said: 'Give us a . pic of a place with a better claim and we will pay up the money the same . day, but we are not worried because we are the real inspiration for the . film.' But rivals at Huangshan were able to strengthen their . claim when the film's director James Cameron said he had in fact based . the mountains on their site. The area also has peculiarly shaped granite peaks and is a frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literature. However, staff at the Zhangjiajie . tourism office pointed out that . film producers had been to their park to take pictures . and study the mountains in advance of the film. Now where have I seen this before: The mountain previously known as the 'Southern Sky Column' in China, which has now been named the 'Avatar Hallelujah Mountain' Its 3,544ft Southern Sky Column is one of 3,000 in the Zhangjiajie . National Forest Park and they claim was the inspiration for the magical . 'floating peaks' in James Cameron's film. To further cement their claim, Zhangjiajie tourism bosses changed the name of . the Qiankun Pillar to Hallelujah Mountain and started to cash in with . Avatar souvenirs, and later naming other attractions after parts of the . film. As to what the visitors think - both . parks have said they have seen an 80 per cent rise in visitor numbers . since the film was screened. Misty eyed: There are 3,000 in the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park which certainly resemble the magical 'floating peaks' in James Cameron's film . Cashing in: To further cement their claim, despite . opposition the Zhangjiajie tourism bosses changed the name of the . Qiankun Pillar into Hallelujah Mountain and started to cash in with . Avatar souvenirs, and later naming other attractions after parts of the . film . Picturesque: Staff at the Zhangjiajie tourism office however pointed to the fact that producers from the film makers had been to Wulingyuan to take pictures and study the mountains in advance of the film . Avatar became the highest grossing film of all time after its release in . 2009, beating Titanic, also directed by James Cameron, off the top spot . The action-adventure movie, starring Sigourney Weaver, is set in 2154 . and tells the tale of a disabled ex-Marine sent to Earth to infiltrate . a race of 10ft (3m) blue aliens and persuade them to let his . employer mine their homeland for natural resources. The film took more than five years to make and was reportedly one of . the most expensive films, with a budget of at least $300 million. It wowed both critics and fans, winning a Golden Globe as well as three Oscars. Record breaker: Avatar became the highest grossing film of all time after its release in 2009, beating Titanic, also directed by James Cameron, off the top spot . Remote: The South Hunan region is home to the so-called 'Avatar' mountains in the Zhangjiajie . National Forest .
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Managers at Zhangjiajie .
National Forest, Hunan .
Province, claim their sandstone pillars were inspiration for 'Hallelujah .
Mountains' on Pandora .
Rivals at the Yellow Mountain Range in southern Anhui province in eastern China, beg to differ .
Both .
parks have seen 80% rise in visitor numbers .
since film was released .
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By . Charlie Lankston . PUBLISHED: . 16:08 EST, 31 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:53 EST, 2 September 2013 . It’s the moment most men with a long-term girlfriend dread – the ‘quiet word’ with her mother about his future intentions. And Carole Middleton certainly wasn’t prepared to avoid the subject just because the man dating her daughter Kate was a future King. A new book by The Mail on Sunday’s Royal Editor Katie Nicholl reveals how ‘jittery’ Carole, worried about the absence of a ring on Kate’s finger, took Prince William aside to press him on his plans. Carole Middleton pressed William on his plans when she became worried about the absence of a ring on Kate's finger . William assured Carole that not only would there be an engagement and subsequent marriage, the couple hoped to have children . The meeting took place when William visited the Middleton family just before Christmas 2009. In . the book – Kate: The Future Queen – a family friend tells how Carole . expressed her fears to William. But he assured her that not only would . there be an engagement and subsequent marriage, the couple hoped to have . children – and he promised Carole that she would be fully involved in . their upbringing. William . stayed true to his word. The couple were engaged the following . November and since their son George was born on July 22, Carole has . become the most famous grandmother in Britain. Kate, right, in 1998 with friends at Marlborough. She stunned them by opting for St Andrews over Edinburgh . She and her husband, Michael, were the . first family members to visit the new baby after his birth – ahead of . Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall – while Kate and William have . even set aside a ‘granny flat’ for the Middletons at their lavish . Kensington Palace apartment. Another . of the Middletons’ friends, former neighbour George Brown, says: ‘It . was a condition when Kate and William got married that Carole and . Michael would be a part of the grandchildren’s lives.’ Kate paid tribute to ‘Granny’ Carole last week during her first public appearance since the birth. Moving closer: Undergraduates Kate and William together at St Andrews in 2003 . The new book also untangles the tale of how Kate came to choose St Andrews for her university . Carole looked after George when Kate . and William attended the start of a marathon on Anglesey on Friday. Kate’s presence at the event was a surprise – it was only revealed that . morning that she would attend. It is thought it could be one . of the couple’s last engagements on Anglesey before they leave their . home on the Welsh island next month to settle into a new life in London. The new book also untangles the tale . of how Kate came to choose St Andrews for her university – starting at . the same time as William and on the same course . The happy couple announced their engagement in 2010. Their official engagement photograph was shot by Mario Testino . Their fairytale wedding was broadcast across the globe, showing the Duchess in her stunning Alexander McQueen gown . Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge leaving the King Edward VII hospital in Central London after announcing the pregnancy . A beaming Prince William holds his new baby son as they leave the hospital. The Duchess was praised for her decision not to hide her 'mummy tummy' It . has previously been put down to mere coincidence, but it seems Kate . deliberately plotted to be there at the same time as the prince. Jasper . Selwyn, a careers adviser at Kate’s former school, Marlborough College, . and Joan Gall, her house tutor, confirm in the book that her first . choice was not St Andrews at all, but Edinburgh. Despite . achieving the required grades for Edinburgh, one of the country’s top . universities, she changed her mind after William’s own choice of . university was made public. In . a bold move, Kate turned down the place she had been offered at . Edinburgh, decided to take a gap year, just as William was doing, and . reapply for St Andrews – a risky strategy as there was no guarantee that . she would get a place. Since then, of course, their relationship has . flourished. The Duchess has become one of the family, pictured hear laughing with Prince Harry and the Duchess of Cornwall . The pregnant Catherine looks happy and content pictured here with her husband and brother in law . In another . fascinating insight into the Royal romance, the book reveals that . although Kate has taken on a higher public profile since her marriage, . she in fact began doing secret charity work six years ago. In . 2007 the Queen quietly suggested to William that Kate get involved with . a charity, and they both considered it an excellent idea. The . Middletons’ family firm, Party Pieces, already had a connection with . Starlight, a children’s charity which grants terminally ill children a . once-in-a-lifetime wish. The Duchess of Cambridge said that Prince George has been very 'good'. The pair released this official photograph of their young family . Carole looked after George when Kate and William attended the start of a marathon on Anglesey on Friday . Kate arranged to meet the charity’s chief executive officer Neil Swan to see how she could help more. He . said: ‘Kate was working with Party Pieces at the time and she came up . with a clever idea for a party bag that doubled up as a colouring-in . gift. ‘She also designed some Starlight-themed crayons and other bits and pieces to go in the bags. To us, she was just Kate, and we would go and have meetings with her at Party Pieces, and sometimes she would come to us. In 2007 the Queen quietly suggested to William that Kate get involved with a charity, and they both considered it an excellent idea . ‘She came up with lots of creative ideas for parties that we were arranging for sick children, and she did a lot of work below the radar.’ It is also revealed that Kate made numerous secret visits to the Naomi House children’s hospice in Hampshire. She would drive to the hospice bearing gifts for the children, and would spend hours reading and playing with them. The Duchess was reassured by her mother that the split from Prince William would not be permanent . The couple's relationship was briefly put on hold after Kate confronted William about his partying, the book reveals. She . was left 'humiliated' after pictures were published of William with two . girls at a nightclub in Poole, where he had been posted for a tank . commander's course. There had also been earlier reports he had been dancing with another women at Boujis nightclub, in London. The new book reveals how Kate believed their relationship was finished unless she had his full commitment. But, at the age of 24, William was scared by commitment and was enjoying his lifestyle in the Army. In . April 2007 they decided to end their relationship - only for Carole to . reassure her daughter that the split would not be forever. Kate and William first met in the summer of 1999 in the 'den' at the prince's country estate, the new book reveals . Kate and William first met in the summer of 1999 in the 'den' at the prince's country estate, the new book reveals. Two . years before she went to St Andrews, Kate was introduced to the Glosse . Posse, a group of friends who regularly met at Highgrove, in . Gloucestershire. She was introduced to the group by her Marlborough College friend Emilia d'Erlanger. In . the book, Kate's house mistress Ann Patching explains how: 'We all knew . as teachers that that year group was moving in Royal circles, that they . were friends.' The . book also reveals how while working in the summer before she started at . university, Kate told a colleague how she had already met the Prince . ‘once or twice’.
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Sensational revelations are in new book by Mail on Sunday Royal Editor .
Carole pressed William on his plans when worried about absence of a ring .
William assured her there would be a marriage and they hoped for children .
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Derby matches are great. They allow players and fans alike to have bragging rights for a period of time. They were the fixtures I looked forward to the most and I loved playing in them. But not in Scotland! When I was at Bath, the West Country derbies against Bristol and Gloucester were brilliant matches to be a part of. They were ferocious on and off the park especially at Kingsholm where I was made very welcome being captain of Bath and Scottish! They were the highlight of the season and, on many occasions, produced outstanding matches with both sides throwing everything at the opposition with the objective to score as many points as possible to humiliate your near neighbours. Glasgow Warriors' Al Kellock leaps the highest for a line-out during his side's match against Edinburgh . This changed when I moved back to play for Glasgow. Suddenly, the derby against Edinburgh turned into a turgid affair when both sides seemed paralysed by the fear of losing to their nearest rival. One reason for this was they were seen as National Trials when you faced up to a player who you were battling with for the Scotland team. This meant lots of players went into their shells and made damn sure the opposition team and individual player did nothing to improve their chances of being selected for the national team. This is what happened on Saturday at Scotstoun. Glasgow and Edinburgh produced a forgettable match in front of an excited and expectant capacity crowd who deserved so much more in terms of intent and quality. The irony of this is that Edinburgh do not have that many Scottish-qualified players but it was still seen as a trial. Glasgow won the game and will take the four points on offer but that was just about all they will take from this. They stay second in the league and on course for a home play-off but they will need to play a whole lot better if this is to be achieved. Worryingly, one of their most consistent performers this season, Rob Harley, went off with a nasty looking leg injury which will definitely keep him out of the return match at Murrayfield and time will tell how many other games. His work rate has laid the platform that has allowed the Warriors to perform and, although they have strength in depth in this area, the injuries are mounting with Adam Ashe and Chris Fusaro and he will be missed. Glasgow Warriors' Josh Strauss (left) scores a try in his side's 16-6 win over Edinburgh . Both sides put in plenty of perspiration but lacked any real inspiration. Glasgow scored the only try of the game after great set up play from Sean Lamont and Peter Horne allowed Josh Strauss to score. They should have had a second try when DTH van der Merve was judged to have made a forward pass to Nico Matawalu when it looked perfectly good to me. Referee George Clancy did not refer it to the TMO which was surprising as every decision, these days, seems to be referred. I wonder if this was the reason that Clancy did not refer it, he wanted to show that he could make the call on his own. Even so, it was the wrong call. Edinburgh have improved as the season has developed. If this game had taken part in the first few weeks of the season on hard ground and Glasgow flying and Edinburgh really struggling, Glasgow would have won by 40 points. But Edinburgh have made themselves tough to play against and defended really well in the tackle and competed really well at the breakdown. The Edinburgh Rugby players gather for a huddle before the match on Saturday . They were a much better attacking threat in the second half when Tom Heathcote came on at stand-off which allowed Greig Tonks to move to his best position of full back. He made a number of good runs and showed his class. I hope he remains at full back for the return game on Friday. The turgid nature of the game and the lack of ambition of either side played right into Edinburgh’s hands. They were very comfortable in the arm wrestle the match became but had no answer when Glasgow played their off-loading game which should have given them two tries. This means the 1872 Cup is, theoretically, still up for grabs in the return. It should have been over as Glasgow were much better than the 10-point winning margin suggested but Edinburgh will have a real go at Murrayfield. The big pitch will suit the Warriors but my only wish is that we have a much better game than we saw at Scotstoun on Saturday. Scotstoun, home of Glasgow Warriors, during the derby between Glasgow and Edinburgh on Saturday .
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Derby matches allow players and teams to have bragging rights .
As a player, I used to love playing in derby matches... but not in Scotland .
The Edinburgh derby has turned into a turgid affair as both sides are paralysed by the fear of losing .
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A greyhound owned by champion jockey AP McCoy has tested positive for the same steroid used by shamed sprinter Ben Johnson. A sample taken from Kereight King after he trialled at Wimbledon last month tested positive for Stanozolol, the drug used by disgraced Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni. Distancing himself from the the news, McCoy said: 'I have no input as I was given a share in it and I have never actually seen it run.' Champion: racing legend AP McCoy is part of a syndicate with a share in Kereight King . Straight from the horse's mouth: McCoy has distanced himself from reports of the failed test . Kereight King, trained in Ireland by Pat Curtin, was 12-1 second favourite for the William Hill Greyhound Derby after the trial which almost smashed the track record. No date has been set for the hearing into the positive test but a fine of £5,000 could be slapped on the Kereight King team. A spokesman for the Greyhound Board of Great Britain said: ‘The GBGB can confirm that a urine sample was taken from the greyhound Kereight King on April 12 after it trialled at Wimbledon Stadium when in the care of trainer Mr Pat Curtin from Ireland and has been analysed by LGC Health Sciences and found to contain the substance 6a-hydroxystanozolol, a metabolite of Stanozolol. Fail: Kereight King (right), pictured in 2013, tested positive for stanozolol last month . Disgraced: Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson tested positive for stanozolol at the 1988 Olympics . ‘This matter will be heard before the Disciplinary Committee of the GBGB in due course.’ McCoy, successful on Irish Buccaneer at Ludlow on Sunday, was not involved in the chaos at the start which prompted the second race, a three-mile chase, to be declared void. The starter could be seen waving his flag, suggesting a false start, after the field had set off seemingly in unison, but there was no flag from the recall man at the first fence and it was only after some time that the riders pulled their mounts up. DERMOT WELD’S Fascinating Rock is 14-1 for the Derby after rightly being awarded victory in the Derrinstown Stud Derby trial at Leopardstown after first-past-the-post Ebanoran badly bumped him in the final furlong.
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McCoy is part of a syndicate with a share in Kereight King .
The dog tested positive for banned substance stanozolol last month .
Champion jockey McCoy has never seen Kereight King run .
The owners could face a fine following the failed drug test .
Stanozolol is the steroid used by Johnson at the 1988 Olympics .
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US special forces failed in an attempt to free the British hostage who ISIS militants have threatened to kill, Philip Hammond confirmed this morning. The Foreign Secretary said the Government was now considering a number of ways to protect the hostage, adding: 'We will look at every possible option.' Mr Hammond also said Britain would also 'certainly consider' airstrikes against ISIS. Mr Hammond's remarks came after jihadist militants released a second sickening video yesterday which showed US journalist Steven Sotloff being beheaded by a fighter with an English accent. At the end of the video, a British hostage is filmed on his knees in a similar orange jumpsuit to those worn by the two men already killed by the extremist group, sparking fears he could be their next victim. Scroll down for video . US journalist Steven Sotloff (pictured) was the latest victim of ISIS jihadists and a video of his killing included footage of a British hostage, who it is feared could become the fanatics' next victim . David Cameron, addressing members of the NATO Parliamentary assembly last night, has branded the latest video 'absolutely disgusting and despicable' Mr Hammond confirmed this morning that the man - who UK media are not naming at the request of the family but who has been named and pictured around the world - was the subject of a failed rescue attempt by US commandos earlier this summer. Last month the Pentagon revealed it had launched the attempt to rescue a number of hostages held in Syria, including James Foley, the journalist killed in the first video. But the mission failed to bring back any hostages because the jihadist gang had moved prior to American commandos' arrival. Mr Hammond suggested this morning that Britain could launch a fresh rescue attempt to save the captured Briton. He said the Government had been aware of a British citizen being held by ISIS for some time and confirmed that the US had launched a failed attempt to save him and American hostages . After a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee, Mr Hammond said the hostage situation would not alter the Government’s overall strategy on dealing with ISIS militants. He said: ‘It can’t allow us to change our overall strategy. We’ve been aware of this hostage, of course, for some time, but we have to deal with IS on the basis of the wider threat that they pose to the British public, as well as to this individual.’ He said the situation would not affect the likelihood of British airstrikes against the militants. ‘It doesn’t make any difference at all to our strategic planning. As the Prime Minister said, we will look very carefully at the options available to us to support the legitimate government of Iraq and Kurdistan in defending themselves from the threat of Isil. ‘And if we judge that airstrikes could be beneficial, could be the best way to do that then we will certainly consider them, but we’ve made no decision to do so at the moment.’ He confirmed that British analysis of a video released yesterday appearing to show the British hostage, as well as the execution of US journalist Steven Sotloff, had concluded it was genuine. ‘The US president will be making an announcement shortly on the basis of US analysis, but our preliminary analysis is that this video is genuine, that it is Mr Sotloff, and that it appears to be the same person with an apparently British voice that appeared in the last video. ‘Obviously our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr Sotloff and we’re doing everything we can to reassure the family of the British hostage who was shown in the video.’ It is believed the British hostage, who is not being named by UK media, and James Foley (pictured), who was the first man killed in the videos, were the subject of a failed rescue mission earlier this summer . Journalists Mr Sotloff (left) and Mr Foley (right) had been covering the war in Syria when they were kidnapped . David Cameron has chaired a number of secret Cobra meetings in recent months focused on the British hostage and options to secure a safe release. Last night, the Prime Minister was briefed by his senior security officials on the developing situation, ahead of today's meeting of Cobra. Mr Cameron has hit out at the ‘absolutely disgusting, despicable’ murder of Mr Sotloff. He said: 'If verified, this is a despicable and barbaric murder. My thoughts and prayers are with Mr Sotloff’s family and friends tonight as they deal with this appalling and tragic situation. 'As I have said consistently over the last few weeks, ISIL terrorists speak for no religion. They threaten Syrians, Iraqis, Americans and British people alike and make no distinction between Muslims, Christians or any other faith.' He is not thought to have spoken to President Obama, who is travelling to Estonia ahead of the NATO summit in Wales later this week. The British hostage is believed to be an aid worker who was based on the Turkish border of Syria, working with victims of war. Government sources have stressed that Britain has a long-standing principle not to publicise kidnappers or terrorists. But UK authorities are in touch with the man's family and are continuing to provide support for them, it is understood.
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British hostage paraded before camera in latest ISIS beheading video .
It is feared the man could be the next victim of militants in Syria .
US special forces attempted to rescue him and fellow hostage James Foley .
But their mission earlier this summer failed after militants disappeared .
Philip Hammond today hinted a fresh rescue attempt was being considered .
Foreign Secretary added ministers would 'certainly consider' airstrikes .
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Capitol Hill (CNN) -- The red wave that swept Republicans into control of the Senate led to the defeat of the last white House Democrat in the deep South on Tuesday. Georgia Rep John Barrow, a pro-gun, fiscally conservative Democrat, who was running for his sixth term, lost to Republican businessman Rick Allen. The same night that the last white Southern Democrat serving in the House lost, South Carolina elected Tim Scott, an African American Republican, to the Senate in South Carolina. Scott becomes the first African American to be elected in the South and the first to start a full term since Reconstruction. University of Georgia Political Science Professor Charles Bullock told CNN on Tuesday that thirty years ago virtually all districts in Congress from the deep south were represented by white Democrats, but with Barrow's loss "they've become extinct." Louisiana Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu is in a run off with Republican Rep Bill Cassidy that will be decided on December 6th. Related: 9 historic firsts of the GOP wave . Related: Scott first black senator elected in South since Reconstruction . "Democrats have fallen about as far as they can," Bullock said He noted that Republicans, who took over Governorship and state legislatures, redrew House districts to elect African American Democrats to represent minority areas, they made the other districts more reliably Republican. Also as the moderate and conservative white House Democrats from the area retired, or in some cases switched parties, they were replaced by conservative Republicans. Unless Democrats take back state houses and can readjust the shape of congressional districts in the deep south, Bullock said white Democrats "may be looking at being closed out of Congressional delegations until the 2030's." Republicans have been hoping to knock off Barrow - who survived the 2010 tea party wave that flipped control of the House of Representatives to the GOP - for several cycles. One senior House GOP campaign strategist admitted that he was one of the toughest incumbents, and a day before the election believed the race was neck and neck. But on election night it wasn't even close -- Barrow lost to Allen 55% -45%. The Georgia Democrat regularly touted his endorsement from the National Rifle Association, and was well known for his colorful campaign commercials. One television spot that Barrow aired this fall pushed back at charges he wasn't going his job. It featured a woman who Barrow helped secure her husband's veterans benefits, declaring bluntly "anybody who says John Barrow isn't getting things done is lying like a no legged dog." But Barrow was not conservative enough to keep his seat. With his loss the House delegations of all of the deep southern states - Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Louisiana - are all composed of Republicans. Barrow frequently criticized the president and voted with House Republicans repeatedly on measures to repeal parts of Obamacare. But the National Republican Congressional Committee targeted Barrow with an ad saying he voted with the President 85% of the time. House Democratic aides said Barrow's loss demonstrates just how heavy the weight of President Barack Obama was around Democratic candidates. "If anybody could win in the deep south, it's Barrow," one of these senior House Democratic leadership aides told CNN. The loss is also a warning sign for House Democrats whose caucus is dominated by liberal members representing mostly urban areas in blue states. When they captured the House in 2006, Democrats recruited moderate candidates not only in red districts in the . Deep South, but also in rural districts in North Carolina, Tennessee, and in Midwestern states like Indiana and Illinois. Democrats realize that if they want to regain the majority they will need to reach out to more centrist Democrats again. "We can' just cede the South forever. We've got to come up with some type of strategy and look at our policies and figure out how speak to those voters in those districts," this Democratic aide said.
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The South was once dominated by Democrats, but they are now an endangered species there .
Congressional districts have been drawn to emphasize minority votes in some areas and conservative votes elsewhere .
Rep. John Barrow was the last white Democratic congressman representing the Deep South .
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By . Beth Stebner . Last updated at 11:06 AM on 16th January 2012 . Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman will drop out of the presidential race today, and will instead endorse fellow candidate Mitt Romney, a senior campaign aide confirmed Sunday night. The official said Mr Huntsman was ‘proud of the race he ran.' Mr Huntsman's rationale to back Mr Romney - a man he’s consistently criticised on the campaign trail and called an ‘establishment’ - comes because he doesn't want to block the best candidate to beat President Obama in the upcoming elections, according to an aide. He was scheduled to participate in an evening debate in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on Monday evening, but will instead endorse Mr Romney at an 11am press conference. Just announced: Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman walks with wife Mary Kaye and daughter Gracie in South Carolina. The former Utah governor will drop out of the presidential race, according to reports . Defeat: According to reports, Huntsman was running out of money to fund his campaign . The former Utah governor came third in last week’s New Hampshire primary despite devoting much of his campaign resources to the state. He had already acknowledged that expectations for him in South Carolina’s primary this week will be ‘very low.’ Mr Huntsman was routinely at the bottom of national polls, barely registering at one or two per cent, despite entering the race with high expectations. Funding his campaign also became a struggle, as he arrived in South Carolina with very little money. Making it official: Huntsman will announce the end of his campaign and his endorsement of Mitt Romney in a news conference Monday . This comes six days before the state’s Republican presidential primary. Earlier on Sunday, he received an endorsement from South Carolina’s largest newspaper, The State. The paper’s editorial board praised the . candidate’s principles and ‘far more impressive resume’ than Republican . favourite Mitt Romney. 'He has not put forth reason to give us a reason for us to trust him.' -Jon Huntsman, on if he trusts Mitt Romney . When asked in an interview with ABC News earlier this month if he trusts Mr Romney, Mr Huntsman responded: ‘He has not put forth reason to give us a reason for us to trust him.’ But he also told an ABC reporter that Mr Romney is ‘completely out of touch’ and touted his much-debated time at Bain Capital. When asked in an interview with ABC News earlier this month if he trusts Mr Romney, Mr Huntsman responded: ‘He has not put forth reason to give us a reason for us to trust him.’ But he also told an ABC reporter that Mr Romney is ‘completely out of touch’ and touted his much-debated time at Bain Capital. He said: ‘My problem is really about a political issue. And that is, when you have a candidate that talks about enjoyment in firing people, talks about pink-slips, who makes comment that seem to be so detached from the problems that Americans are facing today, that makes you pretty much unelectable.’ A single man: Despite speaking out against Mitt Romney, Huntsman will reportedly endorse him as the GOP candidate . Mr Huntsman joins the three candidates who have now dropped out of the race. Former governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty dropped out after low numbers at the Iowa straw poll last summer, and Rep Michele Bachmann, also of Minnesota, dropped out after a disappointing turn at the Iowa Caucus. Former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain ended his bid for the White House after flurries of sexual harassment allegations were brought to light. Mr Huntsman joins Mr Pawlenty in the endorsement of the former Massachusetts governor. Mrs Bachmann and Mr Cain have yet to announce support of the remaining candidates. Endorsed: According to reports, Huntsman will endorse Romney after himself getting endorsed by South Carolina's largest paper . His resume suggested he could be a major . contender for the GOP nomination: businessman, diplomat, governor, . veteran of four presidential administrations, an expert on China and on . foreign trade. With a personal fortune based on his family's global chemical company, he could be a late entry into the nomination contest without necessarily hobbling his campaign. Yet Mr Huntsman was almost invisible in a race often dominated by Mr Romney, a fellow Mormon. One reason was timing. For months, Mr Romney and other declared or expected-to-declare candidates drew media attention and wooed voters in early primary states. Mr Huntsman, meanwhile, was half a world away, serving as ambassador to China until he resigned in late April. Nearly two more months would pass before his kick-off speech on June 22 in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty. Third place: Huntsman finished third in last week's New Hampshire primary despite devoting much of his campaign resources to the state . To distinguish his candidacy in a crowded field, Mr Huntsman positioned himself as a tax-cutting, budget-balancing chief executive and former business executive who could rise above partisan politics. That would prove to be a hard sell to the conservatives dominating the early voting contests, especially in an election cycle marked by bitter divisions between Republicans and Democrats and a boiling antipathy for President Barack Obama. Mr Huntsman also tried to offer a different tenor, promising a campaign marked by civility. 'I don't think you need to run down somebody's reputation in order to run for the office of president,' he said. So long: Republican Jon Huntsman waves as he arrives to announce his bid for the presidency at Liberty State Park in New Jersey on June 21 of last year . While Mr Huntsman was often critical of his former boss - he joined those saying Mr Obama had failed as a leader - and occasionally jabbed at Mr Romney, he spent more of his time in debates pushing his own views for improving the economy than thumping the president or his opponents. In light of his work in the Obama administration, Republicans seemed wary of Mr Huntsman. While he cast his appointment in August 2009 as U.S. ambassador to China as answering the call to serve his country, his critics grumbled that he had in fact been working on behalf of the opposition. Former governor Jon Huntsman served as ambassador to China until 2009 . Jon Meade Huntsman Jr., 51, was born on March 26, 1960 in Redwood City, California, the eldest of nine. His father, also Jon Huntsman, founded the successful Huntsman Corporation in 1982. The company is today worth more than $9billion. Mr Huntsman attended high school in Salt Lake City but dropped out to play keyboards in a band. He later attended the University of Utah, then dropped out to serve two years as a Mormon missionary in Taiwan, where he learned to speak Mandarin. He returned to the University of Utah in 1981 and later worked as an intern for Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and as a staff assistant to President Ronald Reagan. He left college to join the Huntsman Corporation in 1983, the same year he married Mary Kaye Cooper. Mr Huntsman studied international politics at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a bachelor's degree in 1987. While he served in the administrations of both George H.W. Bush - he was ambassador to Singapore in 1992 - and George W. Bush, Mr Huntsman first won elective office in 2004 as Utah's governor. He was re-elected by a 3-1 margin in 2008, then resigned the following year to be America's top diplomat in China under the Obama administration. Mr Huntsman and his wife have seven children, including one adopted from India and one adopted from China.
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Jon Huntsman will officially announce withdraw Monday, several aides say .
Will now endorse Mitt Romney, a man he criticised on campaign trail .
GOP hopeful was running low on campaign funds and didn't garner much public support .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that House committees will begin action on President-elect Barack Obama's proposed economic recovery package in the next couple of weeks, with a vote in the full House slated for the week after Obama's inauguration. Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will not go on a break until an economic recovery package is passed. Obama will take office January 20. If that schedule slips, Pelosi, D-California, pledged to cancel the House's planned weeklong break in mid-February for Presidents Day. "We are not going home without an economic recovery package," Pelosi said. Pelosi said Obama's plan has broad public support "almost sight unseen," citing a poll from Politico that says 79 percent of Americans support the president-elect's plan. A senior Pelosi aide said discussions about the details are ongoing between the Obama transition team and key leaders. The Ways and Means Committee will focus on the tax piece, approximately $300 billion in tax cuts. Obama transition aides met with Democrats on that committee Wednesday morning to discuss various proposals, according to another Democratic aide. The Appropriations Committee is tasked with drafting details on spending hundreds of billions of dollars on infrastructure projects, food stamps and other aid to states. Sidestepping a question on possible roadblocks for the bill, Pelosi instead touted the new muscle of the expanded Democratic majority. "We have been so used to an uphill fight, but now we have arrived. We have a big, strong, something like an 80-vote majority in the Congress, in the House, with a Democratic president in the White House," she said. In a speech Thursday, Obama said it was imperative that Congress move quickly to pass the stimulus package once he takes office, warning that a failure to do so would have devastating long-term consequences to the nation's economy. "We start 2009 in the midst of a crisis unlike any we have seen in our lifetime, a crisis that has only deepened over the last few weeks," Obama said at George Mason University in Virginia. Watch Obama call for "dramatic action" on the economy » . "I don't believe it's too late to change course, but it will be if we don't take dramatic action as soon as possible," Obama continued. "If nothing is done, this recession could linger for years." Key members of Obama's own party, however, said they opposed central tax measures of the president-elect's proposals after emerging from a closed-door meeting of the Senate Finance Committee. Watch Obama explain his tax proposals » . In particular, they do not think that giving employers a $3,000 tax credit for each worker they hired would work. "I'm not that excited about that," said Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts. "Having a tax credit for hiring is not going to change that dynamic; creating a direct job will. So I'd rather spend the money on the infrastructure, on direct investment, on energy conversion and other kinds of things, much more directly and much more rapidly and much more certainly create a real job." Sen. Kent Conrad agreed. "I think it's unlikely to be effective," the North Dakota senator said. "If you think about it, businesspeople are not going to hire people to produce products that are not selling. Who is going to hire in the auto industry if you give them a $3,000 credit to make cars that people are not buying?" A second Obama tax proposal that several Democrats were down on is payroll tax credits, amounting to about $20 per paycheck and totaling $500 per person and $1,000 for couples earning less than $200,000 a year. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said he doubted that proposal would do much to stimulate the economy. "We have an example from the first stimulus that indicates just giving people $500 to $600, while certainly welcome when there's this much economic hurt, may not be the best use of stimulus," Wyden said. Instead, Wyden said, pumping more money into infrastructure spending would be more effective in creating jobs. Conrad agreed with Wyden. "Twenty dollars a week? I don't think that will be effective, either. That is in terms of economic impact. We have got to focus on what is actually going to lift the economy," Conrad said. None of the senators CNN spoke with after the meeting said they thought the opposition to these provisions would derail the bill but suggested that many meetings would be needed with the Obama team to hammer out an agreement. First votes in the Finance Committee, which must approve the tax components of the stimulus plan, could come in the next two weeks, senators and aides said. CNN's Deirdre Walsh, Dana Bash and Ted Barrett contributed to this report.
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Speaker Nancy Pelosi sets full House vote on stimulus for week of January 25 .
House committees will work on Obama's plan over the next couple of weeks .
Senate Democrats balk at proposal to give employers $3,000 for each worker hired .
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This is the moment a terrified woman desperately fought for her life as her crazed husband held a knife against her throat. Neighbours watched in horror as drunk Glenn Mills grabbed his wife Susan around the neck and threatened to kill her, a court heard. The terrified mother feared she was going to die at the hands of her jealous husband as he pointed the large kitchen towards her throat and told her: 'If I'm going down I'm going down for something worthwhile.' This was the moment terrified mother Susan Mills was seen on camera fighting for her life as her drunken husband wielded a knife in their back garden . 'Bullying' Mills had already beaten his wife a month earlier and been banned from their flat in Margate, Kent. But the 48 year old alcoholic returned in July after drinking and Susan complained, telling him: 'Glenn you can't treat me like this.' Mills told her 'Call the police!' and she ran into their garden and shouted to a neighbour to make the 999 call. Prosecutor Dominic Connolly said she then saw Mills emerge carrying a large kitchen knife. Neighbours watched in horror as the knife was pointed towards her throat as she feared she was going to be stabbed to death . He grabbed her around the neck and shouted: 'If I am going down then I am going down for something worthwhile!' Mr. Connolly said: 'He then put the knife to her throat and then her stomach as she pleaded: 'Please don't kill...please someone help!' Glenn Mills grabbed his wife Susan around the neck and threatened to kill her, a court heard . 'She said that she thought she was going to die but managed to get the knife off him and threw it over a fence. 'She then ran into her daughter's bedroom and carried her to a neighbour's house and called the police.' Mr Connolly said the attack was seen by a neighbour who saw Susan being held in a headlock and her husband making stabbing movements towards her face and neck. They said Susan 'looked absolutely terrified' and took the photos on their mobile phone before calling for help. Susan escaped to the neighbour's flat for safety but Mills followed her begging his wife not to press charges. Police arrived within minutes and found Mills sitting on the toilet and 'extremely drunk'. The court heard how Mills had a previous conviction in October 2012 for battery on his wife when he fractured her fingers, telling her later: 'I wish that I had killed you.' Canterbury Crown Court heard that the couple had argued over the parentage of their child. He was originally charged with attempted murder but on the day of his trial pleaded guilty to assault by beating, affray and making threats to kill. Mrs Mills pleaded for her life and shouted to her neighbours for help as Mills put the large kitchen knife to her throat and then her stomach . Drunken bully Glenn Mills grabbed his wife Susan around the neck and told her 'If I'm going down I'm going down for something worthwhile' He was jailed for three years and eight months and the attempted murder charge was left on the file. Oliver Saxby, QC, defending, said: 'The backdrop of these offences is no doubt a tendency to drink too much alcohol and an inability to cope with that a propensity towards nasty and violent behaviour.' He said that since being remanded in prison Mills has taken steps to tackle his alcohol addiction and had started anger management courses. Judge Adele Williams told him: 'These were most unpleasant instances of domestic violence. 'In June last year, while in drink, you punched your wife repeatedly causing a lump to her head and made threats to her. 'You were told not to return to the flat but you did and consumed considerable quantities of alcohol. 'You became violent after arming yourself and attacked your wife leaving her terrified.'
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Susan Mills had desperately fought for her life against her husband Glenn .
The terrified mother thought she would die at the hands of jealous Mills .
Mills held a knife to her throat threatening as Mrs Mills pleaded for help .
Eventually she got free and threw the knife next door before calling police .
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The five largest theater chains in North America have announced that they are pulling The Interview from their schedules after hackers threatened 9/11-like terror attacks on cinemas showing the Sony Pictures film. Combined - Regal, AMC, Cinemark, Cineplex and Carmike - operate more than half of the country's 40,000 cinemas. In a statement, Regal said it was delaying any showings of The Interview because of 'the ambiguous nature of any real or perceived security threats.' Scroll down for video . The five largest theater chains in North America have announced they are pulling The Interview from their schedules after hackers threatened 9/11-like terror attacks on cinemas showing the Sony Pictures film . The Interview stars Seth Rogen and James Franco star as television journalists involved in a CIA plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un . The statement from Regal's vice president of marketing and communications also pointed the finger of blame at Sony and its 'wavering support' for the movie. Sony did not immediately comment on the news on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the studio told exhibitors that the company understood if they pulled the film in light of the threats. 'Due to the wavering support of the film The Interview by Sony Pictures, as well as the ambiguous nature of any real or perceived security threats, Regal Entertainment Group has decided to delay the opening of the film in our theaters,' said Regal's Russ Nunley. Regal Entertainment is the country's largest operator with more than 7,000 cinemas. Cineplex also has more than a 75 percent market share in Canada with 161 theaters with 1,639 screens. 'Cineplex takes seriously its commitment to the freedom of artistic expression, but we want to reassure our guests and staff that their safety and security is our No. 1 priority,' said a Cineplex spokesperson on Wednesday. Carmike Cinemas, which operates 247 theaters across the country, was the first to cancel its planned showings of the film on Tuesday. The fallout from the Sony Pictures Entertainment hack that began four weeks ago exploded on Tuesday after the shadowy group calling themselves Guardians of Peace escalated their attack beyond corporate espionage and threatened moviegoers with violence reminiscent of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Extra precaution: James Franco was spotted in NYC on Tuesday night with his new giant bodyguard after GOP issued a chilling new threat warning of 9/11-style attacks on movie theaters that show The Interview . A NYPD vehicle outside the Sunshine Cinema in New York. It was supposed to be showing the New York premiere of The Interview on Thursday, but the event has been canceled . The Department of Homeland Security has said there was 'no credible intelligence to indicate an active plot against movie theaters,' but noted it was still analyzing messages from the group, dubbed GOP. The theaters won’t play the film until the conclusion of an FBI investigation into the three-week-old cyberattack on Sony Pictures and subsequent terrorist threats, reports The Wall Street Journal. The warning did prompt law enforcement in New York and Los Angeles to address measures to ramp up security and Thursday's New York premiere at the Landmark Sunshine was canceled as a result. Sony still plans to make the film available to theaters on Christmas Day should they choose to exhibit it, although the company is now understood to be considering releasing the film on premium video-on-demand instead, reports Variety. The move would allow the studio to recoup some of the film’s $42 million budget and maximize the promotional exposure the film has received due to the threats. It would also enable the studio to experiment with the potential of VOD. In The Interview, Rogen and Franco star as television journalists involved in a CIA plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Speculation about a North Korean link to the Sony hacking has centered on that country's angry denunciation of the film. Trouble: Hacking group Guardians of Peace have said a terrorist attack could befall any theaters showing The Interview, which stars James Franco and Seth Rogen (above) Over the summer, North Korea warned that the film's release would be an 'act of war that we will never tolerate.' It said the U.S. will face 'merciless' retaliation. The film was slated to hit theaters nationwide on Christmas Day. It premiered in Los Angeles last week. But on Tuesday, Rogen and Franco pulled out of all media appearances, canceling a Buzzfeed Q&A and Rogen's planned guest spot Thursday on Late Night With Seth Meyers. The FBI said it is aware of the GOP's threats and 'continues to work collaboratively with our partners to investigate this matter.' FBI director James Comey last week said that investigators are still trying to determine who is responsible for the hack. Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said his department takes the hackers' threats 'very seriously' and will be taking extra precautions during the holidays at theaters. Security is seen outside the Theatre at Ace Hotel before the premiere of the film 'The Interview' in Los Angeles, California on December 11, 2014 . Hollywood studio Sony Pictures said on Tuesday that it was not pulling the film, but is leaving it to theater chains to decide whether to show the movie, which depicts a fictional plot to assassinate North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un. 'We plan to release the film,' said a source at Sony, which is dealing with fallout from an enormous cyber-attack last month. The source added that a decision whether to show the film 'is with theater owners, partners whom we support.' GOP also released a trove of data files including 32,000 emails to and from Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton in what it called the beginning of a 'Christmas gift.' And two former Sony film production workers filed lawsuits alleging the Culver City, California company waited too long to notify nearly 50,000 employees that data such as Social Security numbers, salaries and medical records had been stolen. The filing follows another lawsuit this week from two other former Sony employees accusing the studio of being negligent by not bolstering its defenses against hackers before the attack. The Guardians of Peace threat released on Tuesday reads: . Warning . We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places The Interview be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to. Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made. The world will be full of fear. Remember the 11th of September 2001. We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time. (If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.) Whatever comes in the coming days is called by the greed of Sony Pictures Entertainment. All the world will denounce the SONY. It claims emails and other leaked information show that Sony's information-technology department and its top lawyer believed its security system was vulnerable to attack, but that company did not act on those warnings. Sony potentially faces tens of millions of dollars in damages from a class-action lawsuit, said Jonathan Handel, an entertainment law professor at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. Since the hack surfaced late last month, everything from financial figures to salacious emails between top Sony executives has been dumped online. The nearly 32,000 emails to and from Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Lynton leaked on Tuesday include information about casting decisions and total costs for upcoming films, release schedules for Sony films through 2018 and corporate financial records, such as royalties from iTunes, Spotify and Pandora music services. They include information about new electronics devices such as DVD players and cellphones. They also include budget figures for the Motion Picture Association of America, of which Sony is a member, and at least one email about a senior Sony executive who left the company. Hackers invoked the 9/11 attacks in their most chilling threat yet against Sony Pictures, warning the Hollywood studio not to release a film which has angered North Korea . The emails also include banal messages about public appearances, tennis matches, home repairs, dinner invitations and business introductions. On Monday, Sony Pictures boss Michael Lynton sought to reassure employees that the studio would not be destroyed by the leaks. 'This will not take us down,' Lynton told employees, adding: 'You should not be worried about the future of this studio.' North Korea has denied involvement in the brazen November 24 cyber-attack, which some expert said could possibly have been carried out by disgruntled workers or by supporters of North Korea furious over the movie.
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Cinema chains are pulling The Interview from their schedules after hackers threatened 9/11-like terror attacks on theaters showing the movie .
Combined - Regal, AMC, Cinemark, Cineplex and Carmike - operate more than half of the country's cinemas .
Regal said on Wednesday that it was delaying showings because of the 'ambiguous nature of any real or perceived security threats'
Sony said on Tuesday that it understood if exhibitors pulled the film in light of the threats - which the FBI is currently investigating .
Company still plans to make the film available to theaters on Christmas Day should they choose to exhibit it .
The Interview stars Rogen and Franco as television journalists involved in a CIA plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un .
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By . Darren Boyle . A council has paid sniffing experts £35,000 to monitor foul odours seeping from a waste processing plant. The environmental consultants, 'with very sensitive noses', are assessing the scale of the stench which locals claim has plagued them since the Biffa plant opened at Mowmacre Hill, Leicester in 2003. Specialists from Technology company SLY and consultancy firm RPS have been sniffing the air at the plant for the past 14 months. Leicester City Council has paid for 'sniff consultants' to examine the odours to see if there's a problem after receiving 152 complaints about the waste plant which processes 120,000 tonnes of rubbish a year . Steve Weston, the head of waste management at Leicester City Council, said: 'We’ve paid for consultants to come and do sniff monitoring. 'They’re professional people with very sensitive noses - a bit like perfumers - who can detect small changes in the smell of the area. They’ve been doing random sniff tests and recording what they find. 'That’s the only way we’re going know whether there’s a problem. The consultants have also looked at the air evacuation systems and the bio-filter at the plant to assess their effectiveness. It’s cost us about £35,000 so far.' Local MP Liz Kendall, pictured, said she was angry this odour problem was taking so long to resolve claiming she will do everything in her power to get the Environment Agency to intervene . Local residents complain that the Biffa waste management plant in Momacre Hill in Leicester is making their life a misery since it has opened in 2003. The facility treats 120,000 tonnes of rubbish a year . Since the 'sniff monitoring' started residents have complained 152 times about the waste plant, which processes 120,000 tonnes of rubbish each year. Stewart Lewin, chairman of the Mowmacre Tenants and Residents’ Association, said: 'We can’t open our windows or our doors - it’s a sickly horrible smell and it’s about time something was done about it.' Reg Hubbard, who lives close by, said: 'Biffa should be doing a lot more to make sure this stops. It’s not nice for anyone. Information from the 'sniff monitoring' and the assessment of the plant’s filtration systems - which are designed to catch any smells before they escape - have been handed over to the Environment Agency. Today, representatives from the agency, Biffa and the council will meet to discuss the findings of the report. Mervyn Tongue, law enforcement officer for the Environment Agency, said: 'We’ve now taken receipt of the technical reports, which show some problems with the processing plant. 'We’ll meet Biffa to discuss the next steps.' He said his agency has the power to force the company to find a solution, but added: 'I’m sure Biffa will want to resolve this as much as everyone else.'On Saturday, a meeting to update residents was chaired by Leicester West MP Liz Kendall. Miss Kendall said: 'I’m so angry we’re still talking about this after so long. 'I will do everything in my power to make sure the Environment Agency uses its power to do something because we’re sick of having to meet like this all the time.'Biffa said it continues to cooperate fully with the authorities.
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Locals residents have complained 152 times since 'sniff monitoring' started .
The Leicester plant processes 120,000 tonnes of rubbish each year .
Experts have probed the plant's air evacuation system and bio-filter .
However, residents complain they cannot open their doors or windows .
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A pregnant woman sentenced to jail time for a DUI conviction involving the death of her friend will be allowed to stay out of prison until the birth of her baby. Sarah Courtney, 34, from Orrington, Maine, was sentenced to ten years in prison after pleading no contest to manslaughter and aggravated criminal operating under the influence of intoxicants. She was driving her SUV in Hampden last year when she missed a curve and crashed the vehicle. Her friend Sarah Eason, 28, was sitting in the passenger seat and died as a result of the crash. Sarah Courtney, 34, from Orrington, Maine, was sentenced to ten years in prison after pleading no contest to manslaughter and aggravated criminal operating under the influence of intoxicants . According to prosecutors, Courtney, who is now eight months pregnant, was nearly twice over the legal alcohol limit at the time, Bangor Daily News reported. She also was driving at 57mph in a 45mph zone. The women had been visiting bars in Bangor and Brewer just before the crash. Courtney was sentenced to ten years in prison, with all but two and a half suspended, followed by four years probation for manslaughter. But she will not have to enter prison until March 1 on account of the fact she is expected to give birth to a baby girl next month. Courtney's due date is November 22 but her daughter is expected to be delivered earlier due to gestational diabetes. She remains free on $2,000 bail. The prosecution said that although they thought the plea agreement was fair, he opposed a stay longer than 42 days, the maternity leave granted to female members of the military. Mary-Lynne Eason of Brewer, the victim's mother, told the judge that 'since the crash, my life has become a nightmare from which I will never wake up'. According to prosecutors, Courtney, who is now eight months pregnant, was nearly twice over the legal alcohol limit at the time of the crash. She is expected to give birth next month and will enter prison in March . She said that because of her daughter's death she could no longer work and was struggling emotionally and economically. The mother added that Courtney's 'continued refusal to accept responsibility reveals a lot about her character' and urged the judge to impose 'a longer sentence to send a stronger message to the community so no other mother has to stand here'. Just before being sentenced, Courtney apologized to her friend's family. 'My sorrow and remorse is overwhelming,' she said. In her obituary, published in April 2013 in the Bangor Daily News, Sarah Eason was described as loved and as someone who accepted people without judgment. Courtney was driving along this stretch or road in Hampden when she missed a curve and crashed. Her friend Sarah Eason, 28, was sitting in the passenger seat and died as a result of the crash .
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Sarah Courtney, 34, missed a curve and crashed while driving her SUV .
Her friend Sarah Eason, 28, was in the passenger seat and died as a result .
Courtney, who is now eight months pregnant, will enter prison on March 1 .
She was nearly twice over the legal alcohol limit at the time of the crash .
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David Cameron has brushed aside calls for a ‘conscience clause’ to protect Christians who are persecuted for their beliefs. The Prime Minister yesterday dismissed the idea following the scandal over the decision by the state equality watchdog to sue a bakery firm which refused to bake a cake celebrating gay marriage. The cake, ordered by a gay rights group, would have been decorated with a slogan saying ‘support gay marriage’ and two characters from Sesame Street. The Equality Commission is now taking the Christian owners of the bakery to court for breaking sexual orientation regulations. Questioned by MPs, Mr Cameron declined to offer support for the idea of laws to defend Christian beliefs. Instead he told the Commons that gay equality rights are part of being British. Scroll down for video . Cameron has batted aside calls for a 'conscience clause' to protect Christians persecuted for their beliefs . He said that tolerance and equality for people with different sexualities are ‘a very important part of being British.’ The Prime Minister’s line contrasted with his call three months ago for more support in Britain for Christianity and the moral code that goes with it. Mr Cameron’s latest intervention comes at a time of deepening political and legal argument over the rights of Christians. One senior judge, Supreme Court Deputy President Baroness Hale, has backed the idea of a ‘conscience clause’ to help Christians who want to live by their belief that gay sex is wrong and that same-sex relationships cannot be marriages. The gay marriage cake case, which stemmed from the refusal of the Christian-owned Ashers Baking Company to make a propaganda cake for the QueerSpace pressure group, appears likely to extend the reach of equality laws. In the past the law on sexual orientation, passed amid a Cabinet rebellion by Tony Blair’s government eight years ago, has been taken to mean that businesses could not refuse to serve customers on the grounds that they are gay. However the Belfast-based bakery which is now being taken to court by the Equality Commission in Northern Ireland did not refuse to serve its customer, activist Gareth Lee, on the grounds that he was gay. Andrew Muir cuts the cake, made by another bakery, with the Sesame Street puppets and 'Support gay marriage' slogan decorated on it . Ashers Baking Company - named after a verse in the Bible - turned down an order for a cake featuring Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie and the slogan 'Support gay marriage' Rather its owners refused to produce a cake designed to convey a message with which they did not agree. Mr Cameron was asked at Prime Minister’s Questions by Democratic Unionist MP Gregory Campbell if he believed the legal action against the bakery was ‘an oppressive threat to religious freedom’. Mr Campbell suggested that ‘such freedoms should be protected by the introduction of a conscience clause.’ The Prime Minister said: ‘I was not aware of the specific case, and I will of course go away and have a look at it. ‘However, I think that a commitment to equality—whether we are talking about racial equality, equality between those of different sexes, equality in terms of people who have disabilities, or, indeed, tolerance of and equality for people with different sexualities—is a very important part of being British.’ The PM claimed he was not aware of the incident but said 'equality' was an important part of being British . Cameron was responding to a question by the DUP’s Gregory Campbell, who said afterwards: ‘There have been a number of cases across the United Kingdom where so-called equality legislation has impeded the ability of people to uphold their religious beliefs. ‘This latest case locally has seen a family-owned bakery threatened by legal action because they would not print a political slogan onto a cake. Such a message ran contrary to the company’s Christian values. ‘It is disappointing that the prime minister would not comment on the need for religious freedom to be protected through the introduction of a conscience clause.’ The East Londonderry MP added: ‘Tolerance needs to be a two-way street, but this case highlights that currently those who cannot support a particular political campaign may find themselves forced before the courts. That is totally unacceptable.’ The idea of a conscience clause was raised last month by Lady Hale, the judge who presided over the most important Christian rights case yet to come before the British courts. In the case, which involved Cornish guest house owners Peter and Hazelmary Bull and their refusal to accommodate a gay couple in a double room because they were not married, Lady Hale found against the hoteliers. But last month Lady Hale made a speech in which she said the decision may have been wrong, that the law may have been too harsh on Christians, and that the law should find a ‘conscience clause’ to allow Christians to live by their beliefs. Mr Cameron’s support for equality is in line with his introduction of same-sex marriage laws. His Government also decided to oppose Christians who went to the European Court of Human Rights claiming their beliefs meant they should be able to wear a cross at work and be excused jobs that meant they would have to help gay couples. However the Prime Minister has also said in recent months that Britain is a Christian country and that Christian beliefs are important. Mr Cameron wrote in the Church Times in April: ‘I believe we should be more confident about our status as a Christian country and, frankly, more evangelical about a faith that compels us to get out there and make a difference to people’s lives. ‘For people who do have a faith, that faith can be a guide or a helpful prod in the right direction, and whether inspired by faith or not, that direction or moral code matters,’ the Prime Minister said.
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Prime Minister David Cameron dismisses idea of creating a 'conscience' clause to protect Christians who are persecuted for their beliefs .
Comes amid controversy over equality watchdog's decision to sue a Christian bakery which refused to bake a cake celebrating gay marriage .
Clashes between gay rights movement and traditional religious beliefs fuelling political and legal debate over rights of Christians .
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When the hugs and high-fives with Chelsea’s players gave way to some solemn handshakes with his former Arsenal team-mates, Cesc Fabregas made his way towards the East Stand. It was there, just before he made his way into the lip of the tunnel, that the Chelsea midfielder looked up and blew kisses to the supporters celebrating inside Stamford Bridge. He is blue through and through now. Fabregas rose to the occasion, disciplining himself in the centre of Chelsea’s midfield and engineering their sixth win in the Barclays Premier League. Cesc Fabregas with his Man of the Match award alongside John Terry and Diego Costa after Chelsea's win . Cesc Fabregas well and truly won the midfield battle against Jack Wilshere as Chelsea emerged 2-0 winners . Fabregas battles with Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez during a performance that justified his summer move . Passes: 69 . Passing accuracy: 88.4 % . Long passes: 7 . Short passes: 62 . Recoveries: 13 . Tackles: 4 . Chances created: 3 . Assists: 1 . He set up Diego Costa’s goal in the 78th minute with the sweetest of lob wedges over Arsenal’s back-pedalling defence, rushing over to celebrate with the forward after he chested down and finished on the run. Fabregas is making this team tick, driving them on when he has Nemanja Matic, John Terry and Gary Cahill providing defensive security behind him. His seventh assist of a season that could finish with him crowned PFA player of the year was a beauty. To his credit he ignored the chants of Arsenal’s supporters in a corner of the Shed when he casually walked over to take a corner at the start of the second half. They were at their most provocative, with many pointing at him and chanting obscenities as he went to retrieve the ball behind the byline. Fabregas didn’t even look up. At least some applauded, remembering his contribution during eight years at Arsenal during which he never won anything more than the FA Cup in 2005 and the 2004 Community Shield. Fabregas (right) celebrates with Diego Costa after supplying the assist for Chelsea's second goal . The Chelsea star plays another accurate pass from midfield as Arsenal's Danny Welbeck watches on . Cesc Fabregas produced a masterful performance against his former club as Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0 . There is no malice. ‘I have huge respect for Arsenal, they gave me everything when I was little,’ he admitted after he was named man of the match. ‘Without Arsenal I would not have won the things I have won and I understand the fans’ reaction. I know the fans love me. I’m not scared, they will be in my heart for ever. But now I’m at this fantastic club, playing with great players, with a great coach and great fans.’ Fabregas knew which way the wind was blowing when he returned to English football in the summer after three years with his boyhood team Barcelona. One meeting is all it took, a conversation with Jose Mourinho that convinced him the future was blue. He has made the right call. ‘To be fair, he didn’t give this performance because he had a special motivation against Arsenal,’ said Mourinho. This Daily Mail graphic shows how the deadly duo - Fabregas and Costa - combined to score Chelsea's second . Jack Wilshere and Fabregas share a word as they walk off at half-time . The Spanish midfielder showed a defensive steel to match his attacking guile at Stamford Bridge . ‘He’s been doing this from day one. He’s unbelievable. He showed he is very special and showed the professional he is. ‘To play against the team where he was made for football shows his commitment to us even more, as well as his professionalism.’ Fabregas looks at home here, settling into a rhythm and providing some creativity from midfield. There is a different feel to Chelsea. In the past they relied on Frank Lampard’s late runs into the area. Now it is all about the partnership between Fabregas and Costa. There were times when Fabregas could easily have reacted here, particularly when Danny Welbeck took him out in the final minutes. Although he winced and went down, he appeared to accept that this was the price to pay for turning his back. When he wakes up on Monday with some stiffness in his legs after a bruising encounter, he will know he made the right decision. The Chelsea star demonstrated why Jose Mourinho was so keen to bring him in from Barcelona this summer . Fabregas shares a hug with Tomas Rosicky, but aside from the pleasantries, the midfielder was ruthless .
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Cesc Fabregas was influential as Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0 .
Former Gunners midfielder provides brilliant assist for Diego Costa .
Performance shows Fabregas made the right choice to join Chelsea over a return to Arsenal .
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By . Catherine Townsend . PUBLISHED: . 15:34 EST, 2 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:55 EST, 2 May 2013 . Wedding dress re-sale site PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com has released a Wedding Dress Value Calculator for former brides who want to figure out how much their used dress is worth. The calculator estimates a gown's worth based on the label, date purchased, price paid and other characteristics like whether or not the dress was cleaned. 'The calculator is a starting price . that we consider to be "fair value" for a seller's gown given all of the . factors that we know influence a sale price, site creator Josie Daga . tells MailOnline. Celebrity fans: Beyonce's crystal-encrusted Barraci wedding dress is for sale for $30,000 on PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com. The steep figure is a relative bargain - the original price tag was $85,000 . She typically recommends that a used gown be priced at . 50per cent of its retail value - if it is less than two years old, has . been cleaned and is in great condition. Designers like Vera Wang and Monique Lhuillier can fetch slightly more than 50per cent, while custom work can be harder to recoup in a sell. Styles worn by celebrities are especially coveted though. 'Chelsea Clinton's, Vera Wang Diana, Khloe Kardashian's Vera Wang Ethel and . Hilary Duffs Vera Wang Gemma are still quite popular,' Ms Daga says. And some stars even use the site to buy and sell their gowns. Kim Zolciak famously . paid $58,000 for her Baracci gown on the site, and currently for sale is Beyonce's Baracchi crystal-encrusted gown from the 'Best Thing I Never Had' video (original price, $85,000; selling for $30,000) The average selling time is 70 days, though some dresses sell within 24 hours. And while some brides still sell because of cancelled weddings, Daga says there is a growing trend to pass the dress on partly because the bride wants someone else to experience the same joy. But does it work? I tried the calculator on myself - and a few other brides - to find out. Blowing the budget: Catherine Townsend re-sold her $17,900 Vera Wang Eliza Deluxe gown for $7,500 . 'Any future daughter of mine will think my Vera Wang is a yellowing meringue monstrosity!' THE BRIDE: Catherine Townsend . THE WEDDING: September 21, 2012 at the Hotel Bel Air in Los Angeles, California . THE DRESS: Vera Wang Eliza Deluxe . ORIGINAL PRICE: $15,900 . CALCULATED VALUE: $9,306 . SOLD FOR: $7,500 . CATHERINE SAYS: People have commented that it's ridiculous to put something on my body that costs more than a used car, and I agree. I wanted a bottle of tequila and City Hall, but my husband was dead-set on a larger wedding for friends and family and generously offered to foot the bill. My Vera Wang Eliza Deluxe was customized with sweetheart neckline, a seven-foot cathedral train and beadwork. The retail price was $25,000, but I paid $15,900 and cut a deal with the seamstress to do the customization separately for a total of $17,900. I loved wearing my dress, but was equally happy to box it up afterwards. I know that in rare cases women can pass their dresses down, but I thought it far more likely that any future daughter of mine would think it looked like a yellowing meringue monstrosity - and I wanted to get some of the money back! I didn't have the calculator, but with the price point and custom work I knew that I was catering to a very specific buyer. Luckily I found her - the woman who bought the dress has now become a friend, and I'm actually going to her wedding in Italy. So the cathedral train will actually get to see the inside of a cathedral! Buyer's remorse: Nahrein Emerson couldn't return her Jenny Packham dress (as seen on the catwalk) 'My Twenties-style Jenny Packham gown was a mistake I couldn't return' THE BRIDE: Nahrein Emerson . THE WEDDING: October 20, 2012 at Holy Apostolic Assyrian Catholic . Church of the East in the Sunset in San Francisco, California . THE DRESS: Jenny Packham's Eden dress . ORIGINAL PRICE: $5,000 . CALCULATED VALUE: $4,500 . SOLD FOR: $3,000 . NAHREIN SAYS: 'It was a mistake dress. 'I was under pressure to pick one and I . went to a number of bridal shops and this was the first dress that . didn’t look like a meringue. 'I had my doubts from the moment I went home . and I called them the next day to say I wanted to change it from white . to cream and they said I should wear white – they didn’t let me change. Then I found my dream dress. 'When I found out I couldn’t cancel I . started looking for ways to sell it. 'I didn't know about the price calculator, I just . figured that I would knock $1,000 off and someone would be thrilled.' Mrs Emerson sold the dress to a 'sweet' bride planning a Great Gatsby/flapper . theme and says that she will attend her wedding next year. Something old: Julie Buratti Buthman sold her Elizabeth Fillmore dress for an impressive $1,400 (posed by model) 'I was never going to wear the dress again' THE BRIDE: Julie Buratti Buthman . THE WEDDING: June 12, 2012 at the Devon Boathouse in Oklahoma City . THE DRESS: The Elizabeth Filmore Evie dress . ORIGINAL PRICE: $2,000 . CALCULATED VALUE: $900 . SOLD FOR: $1,400 . JULIE SAYS: 'I . decided to sell my wedding dress because I knew that I was never going . to wear it again and it would just sit in a closet somewhere. By . selling the dress, someone else could enjoy the dress as much as I did. 'I . don't know any details about the [buyer's] wedding, but I do know that . she is a fairly young bride just graduating college this year.' 'It was expensive, so getting some of the money back makes sense' THE BRIDE: Amanda Bassin . THE WEDDING: January 12, 2013 . THE DRESS: Sottero & Midgley's Chrystelle gown . ORIGINAL PRICE: $1,700 . CALCULATED VALUE: $765 . SOLD FOR: $895 . Financial incentive: Amanda Bassin spent $1,700 on her Sottero and Midgley gown, so was keen to get some of that money back (posed by model) AMANDA SAYS: 'Not only is it beautiful and magical and I would love for someone to wear it again, practically, it's expensive, so getting some of the money back makes sense. 'Also I don't believe that the reason people keep their gowns, 20 years down the road my unborn daughter would wear it, makes any sense at all fashion wise.' Mrs Bassin sold the dress to a bride who was the same size and, since designer wedding gowns normally have to be ordered six months in advance, was under time pressure.
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Selling one's bridal gown is a growing trend, inspired both by financial incentive and the influence of celebrities like Beyonce, whose dress is currently listed on the site .
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(CNN) -- The day after an internal review blasted Penn State for its handling of a child sex abuse scandal that implicated top administrators, including the school's iconic head football coach, the board of trustees made it clear that a lucrative deal the university made with Joe Paterno that now benefits his estate will still stand. "Contracts are contracts," Board of Trustees Chair Karen Peetz said Friday during a trustee meeting in Scranton, Pennsylvania. "And no there's no plan to (change) that." Renegotiations over Paterno's contract began with university officials in January 2011, according to a source, the same month that Paterno testified before a grand jury about what he knew of child sex abuse accusations against Jerry Sandusky, a former assistant coach on the football team. Ten months later, Sandusky was arrested. He was convicted last month of sexually abusing children over a 15-year period, with much of the abuse occurring on the Penn State campus. According to the university website, Paterno's amended contract was finalized in August 2011 and totaled $5.5 million in payouts and benefits, which included a $3 million bonus and title as head football coach emeritus if he retired at the end of the 2011 season. The package, which was published online in April, also included a $425,000 head coach bonus, $900,000 in television and radio revenue, $250,000 in debt forgiveness, use of the university's luxury box, use of the school's hydrotherapy equipment and $1,000 monthly payment to Paterno's wife for the rest of her life, among other benefits. Both former university President Graham Spanier and former Vice President Gary Schultz were involved in the renegotiation, while the board of trustees as a whole had been left out of the loop until November when Sandusky was arrested, a source told CNN. Spanier was fired after the grand jury presentment against Sandusky came to light while Schultz was charged along with former Athletics Director Tim Curley with lying to a grand jury and failure to report suspected child abuse. After being "bombarded with hate mail and threatened with a defamation lawsuit" following Paterno's firing over the scandal, the board eventually approved Paterno's new contract, according to The New York Times, which first reported the story. "Board members who raised questions about whether the university ought to go forward with the payments were quickly shut down," the newspaper reported. CNN cannot independently confirm those accounts. Former FBI Director Louis Freeh released the results of the university-funded probe on Thursday, reporting that his team of investigators had found that several school officials had "empowered" Sandusky to continue his abuse. Paterno also could have stopped the attacks had he done more, Freeh concluded. "Our most saddening and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and welfare of Sandusky's child victims by the most senior leaders at Penn State," Freeh wrote. The 267-page review implicated Spanier, Schultz and Curley in the scandal, but is separate from a government investigation into the charges of perjury and failure to report abuse against Schultz and Curley, whose attorneys blasted the report, calling it a "lopsided document" that did not have access to critical witnesses. Wick Sollers, a lawyer for the Paterno family, could not be immediately reached for comment Saturday. The former head coach died of lung cancer in January at the age of 85. On Saturday, a halo that had been painted above Paterno after he died was removed from a State College, Pennsylvania, mural titled "Inspire." Meanwhile, Sandusky is awaiting sentencing on his abuse convictions. CNN's Susan Candiotti, Ross Levitt, Dominique Dodley and Stephanie Gallman contributed to this report.
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Contract negotiated amid grand jury testimony in the Sandusky scandal will stand .
"Contracts are contracts," board of trustees chair says .
An internal Penn State probe found Paterno could have done more to stop the abuse .
A State College mural is altered to remove halo from Paterno's image .
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By . Phil Duncan . Follow @@PhilDuncanF1 . Luckless Lewis Hamilton's bid for a fifth pole position in Hungary literally went up in flames as his car caught fire early in qualifying. Just minutes into the session at the Hungaroring, Hamilton's Mercedes was ablaze at the rear, and although he attempted to crawl back to the garage, it proved a futile exercise. Hamilton was forced to stop on the pit lane entry road where marshals quickly used extinguishers to douse the fire, started by what Mercedes claimed to be a fuel leak. Now click here to read the report . Host commentator . That's Rosberg's third straight pole, and barring a mechanical problem, he looks set to extend his lead over Hamilton as we head into the summer break. Thank you for your company today, and be sure to join us for tomorrow's Hungarian Grand Prix. Hungarian GP Grid: 1 Rosberg; 2 Vettel; 3 Bottas; 4 Ricciardo; 5 Alonso; 6 Massa; 7 Button; 8 Vergne; 9 Hulkenberg; 10 Magnussen . The German goes faster on his final run and he is almost half-a-second quicker than Sebastian Vettel who will be on the front row for tomorrow's race. Button goes fourth fastest, and he has time to turn in another lap. It's Bottas up next and the Williams man misses out on pole by just over one tenth. He is second. But Rosberg goes fastest with a 1:23.236 and he is almost two tenths quicker than Vettel. Has he done enough to secure pole? Surely, the circuit will be improving but is the rain coming in again? But what a time that is from Vettel who lays down a marker with a time of 1:23.415 and he is the best part of eight tenths faster than Bottas. Bottas is the man of the moment and he sets the fastest time. His first run is two seconds quicker than Rosberg. Does the German have one eye on the championship? Ricciardo is second fastest, three tenths adrift of the Williams with Alonso up next. We're back underway in Hungary and it appears as though the track is at its worst in Turn 1 and Turn 2. The track could get quite a bit quicker in the next few minutes. Rosberg is the first man on track and he is followed by Ricciardo. The session will re-start in two minutes. The brolleys are still up, but it appears as though the rain has eased off. Nico Rosberg locks his brakes at Turn 1 and runs wide, and BANG, Magnussen is in the barriers after locking his brakes, too and he heads straight into the barriers. A heavy shunt for the McLaren man, but he is OK and out of his car. The session is suspended as the marshalls repair the tyre barrier. The drivers are on slick tyres, but they probably know they have one shot at posting their best time with the rain intensifying. It's raining in the paddock ahead of the top-10 shootout. That will add a bit of spice to the remainder of the session. The cars are stacked at the end of the pit lane awaiting the green light. Rosberg laid down the marker with a 123.3 with the two Red Bulls close behind him. It looks as though it is the German's pole to throw away today, mind. 'So, we couldn't even beat Sutil,' is the message from a frustrated Grosjean over the team radio. He will start 15th tomorrow. Kvyat had set two personal bests but lost the rear of his Toro Rosso under braking at Turn 12, and he is out of his car. On track, and with three minutes remaining, Hulkenberg, Perez, Gutierrez, Grosjean and Biacnhi are heading out of qualifying. It's Rosberg, in the troubled-free Mercedes, who tops the timesheets. LEWIS HAMILTON: 'I bailed out of that timed lap and something happened to my brakes so I had to engage some settings to correct it and then the engine just died. I was on the pit lane entry so hoped I could get it back to the pits and they could fix it but I looked in my rear mirrors and it was on fire. 'I hoped to get it to the garage and maybe they could do something but I tried to stop and the brakes weren’t working. It is all pretty bad. I honestly don’t know what I can do tomorrow. I will struggle to get in the top 10 at least the top 5 I will probably leave here more than 20 points behind Nico but here are still races to go. I will try my best.' Niki Lauda: 'It is not back yet so we have to get it back and see what it is. The fuel pressure went down and there was a fire so the logic is the fuel caused the fire. I hope the car isn't too much damaged. It is completely unfair. Two races in a row. Here passing is difficult. He would have been fastest today. He would have won the race no question.' We're green for Q2 - a 15-minute session to reduce the 16 remaining drivers to 10. Will we get any more drama? Meanwhile, Mercedes have confirmed that a fuel leak caused the fire on Hamilton's car. Unbelievable. For the second consecutive race Kimi Raikkonen has been knocked out of qualifying in Q1. The Finn was sitting in Ferrari garage as Jules Bianchi, on the books of the Italian team of course, usurped his time. Madness. Stunning pictures of Hamilton's Mercedes on fire. That will now be six races without pole for the Briton and it's damage limitation once more for the 29-year-old... Back on track, and Hamilton's nemesis Nico Rosberg is top of the timesheets some two tenths ahead of Daniel Ricciardo. Jules Bianchi, Max Chilton, Romain Grosjean and Marcus Ericsson occupy the relegation places with Maldonado and of course Hamilton both out of qualifying. Hamilton can't believe it. He watches the marshals put out the fire and puts his head in his hands. His Mercedes is wrecked with smoke still billowing out of the engine. Unbelievable. Hamilton's Mercedes is up in flames. The Briton is touring round the track, and he makes it back to the pit-lane but he has to jump out of his car. The marshals are quickly on the scene and extinguish the fire, but that means Hamilton will start at the very back for tomorrow's race. You couldn't make it up. What rotten luck for the Briton. Pastor Maldonado pulls off the track in his Lotus with yet another mechanical error for the troubled team. It looked as though the Venezuelan, who has already signed on with Lotus for next season, completely lost drive. How many more mechanical failures can that team have? The light goes green in Hungary and a gaggle of cars head on to the track. The midfield runners head out on the harder tyre. The FIA are now reporting a 30 per cent chance of rain during qualifying. We get underway in a little over five minutes... Christian Horner has been speaking following his blast at the Formula One media in Friday's press conference. 'I stand by everything I said yesterday. We shouldn’t be talking the sport down the whole time. The drivers have got to be the heroes and thereafter the cars should be second to that. We need to give more access to the drivers and the fans have got to be able to engage with the drivers.' Toto Wolff is sporting an arm brace in the paddock this weekend after fracturing his wrist in a cycling crash earlier this week. Wolff was taking part in a team building exercise with his Mercedes colleagues, but it turned in to somewhat of a farce after Wolff’s injuries, Paddy Lowe suffering bruising and race engineer Jock Clear cracking three ribs. Stick to four wheels, chaps. The circuit is currently bathed in summer sunshine, but to the south of the track it certainly looks as though there are some dark clouds gathering. We've got 30 minutes until the start of today's qualifying session... Niki Lauda has apologised in person to all at Ferrari following his derogatory remarks made in the wake of Sunday's German Grand Prix. debut on the 2016 Formula One calendar. A move for Baku, the capital city, to host the race was first revealed by Sportsmail in March. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner launched an astonishing tirade against the Formula One media on Friday. My aim heading to Germany was firstly to extend my lead in the championship over Lewis Hamilton, and then win what is my second home race after Monaco, so it was very special to win for myself and for Mercedes as it is one of the most important grands prix on the calendar for the team. Lewis Hamilton was quickest in both sessions in Friday's practice sessions for Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix on a demanding track where he has won four times; his team-mate Nico Rosberg was second. Lewis Hamilton has endured somewhat of a qualifying nightmare of late. Indeed, it’s been five races since the Briton stuck his Mercedes on pole. But where better to end his current one-lap hoodoo then Hungary? The 29-year-old is a specialist in Hungary, winning in his debut year in 2007, then again in 2009 in a dog of a McLaren, in 2012, and claiming his first victory in a Mercedes last term. Hamilton was fastest once more this morning, meaning he has topped the timesheets in every practice session so far at the Hungaroring ahead of team-mate and his rival for the title Nico Rosberg. Rosberg is 14 points ahead of Hamilton heading into tomorrow’s race after victory at the German Grand Prix last time out. Hamilton will be desperate to close the gap ahead of the four-week summer break.
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Hamilton out of qualifying after his Mercedes catches fire .
It means he will start at the very back for tomorrow's Hungarian Grand Prix .
Nico Rosberg secured third straight pole and he will start ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Valtteri Bottas .
Kimi Raikkonen knocked out of qualifying in Q1. He'll start 17th tomorrow .
Hamilton hasn't been on pole since the Spanish Grand Prix .
He has won four times in Hungary in 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2013 .
The Briton is 14 points adrift of Rosberg in F1's title race .
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By . Ted Thornhill for MailOnline . A cyber-attack took down Sony's PlayStation Network over the weekend, with the person claiming responsibility declaring that it was done in the name of terrorist group Isis. A Twitter user with the handle @LizardSquad said 'today we planted the ISIS flag on @Sony's servers' following the attack. It had coincided with a bomb scare on a flight carrying top Sony executive John Smedley in the United States. Cyber-attack: A Twitter user with the handle @LizardSquad said 'today we planted the ISIS flag on @Sony's servers' after the Sony PlayStation Network was disrupted . Lizard Squad also targeted games company Blizzard Entertainment and Xbox. The PlayStation Network was back up and running on Monday. Sony said on its PlayStation blog that its PlayStation network had been taken down by a denial of service-style attack, which overwhelmed the system with traffic, but did not intrude onto the network or access any of its 53million users' data. Lizard Squad originally said the attack was meant to pressure Sony to spend more of its profits on the network. 'Sony, yet another large company, but they aren't spending the waves of cash they obtain on their customers' (PlayStation Network) service. End the greed,' one post said on Sunday. Sony's network business has been hit by attacks before, with a security breach in 2011 dealing a major blow to plans at the time for a looser network designed to allow for the connection of a range of Sony devices. Disruption: Lizard Squad also targeted games company Blizzard Entertainment and the Xbox Live system . Sony describes its PlayStation Network as 'an online digital media platform that is especially designed for PlayStation enthusiasts'. It's essentially an online service that allows PlayStation gamers in different towns, cities and even countries to play against, or with, each other. Most games these days come with online modes - think of them as games within the game in which sometimes huge numbers of players battle it out for the highest score. Players use the Network to access this part of the game's functionality. It's also possible to watch TV shows and movies through the Network. Xbox Live is Microsoft's version of the Network. For a yearly subscription, it allows users to play online versions of their games and even access movie services such as Netflix. Since then it has invested heavily in the system and is now hoping the network can serve as a centrepiece of its plans to rebuild its business after years of losses in its flagship electronics operations. Lizard Squad said it had also targeted the servers of World of Warcraft video gamemakers Blizzard Entertainment, whose website was down, and threatened to attack Microsoft's Xbox Live network, which some users said they had problems accessing on Sunday. 'We don't comment on the root cause of a specific issue, but as you can see on Xbox.com/status, the core Xbox LIVE services are up and running,' Xbox spokesman David Dennis told Reuters. Blizzard Entertainment was not immediately reachable for comment, though its customer support Twitter account said the company's servers were stabilising. Lizard Squad also tweeted to American Airlines on Sunday to say they had heard that explosives were on board a flight carrying Sony Online Entertainment President John Smedley. That followed an earlier tweet from a game player's forum telling the airline: 'I'm gonna send a bomb on your plane be ready for me tomorrow.' A PlayStation spokeswoman in the United States said the FBI was investigating the diversion of the Dallas to San Diego flight. The FBI had no comment on the incident. American Airlines said on its Twitter account that it was 'aware of threats' made over the microblogging service and had alerted security.
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A cyber-attack took down Sony's PlayStation Network over the weekend .
Twitter user @LizardSquad said 'we planted the ISIS flag on Sony's servers'
It had coincided with a bomb scare on a flight carrying a top Sony executive .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 11:01 EST, 24 November 2011 . Teenager Carl Griffiths may have the biggest feet in Britain, but he's taking it in his stride. The 19-year-old, who stands at 6ft 8in, has feet that are a staggering 14.5in long - or a size 21. The UK average men's shoe size is a nine. Unsurprisingly, he regularly has to put up with people accidentally standing on them and struggles to find shoes that fit so has to order them from overseas. Scroll down for video . In a league of his own: Carl Griffiths, 19, has Britain's biggest feet and wears a size 21 shoe . Mr Griffiths, from Trimsaram in south Wales said: 'My feet have always been huge - ever since I can remember. 'They . grew so fast when I was at school my mum kept having to buy me new . shoes every few months. Each year I would go through two or three pairs. I just wore them out really quickly. 'At primary school my feet were always two sizes bigger than anyone else’s. 'By the time I was 12 years old they were size 14. Then in the space of two years they had gone up to size 17. 'I play rugby and had a huge struggle finding rugby boots - I had to get them special ordered from America.' Big measure: The teenager from Trimsaram in south Wales has to order his shoes from . the U.S. because nobody in Britain makes footwear that large . Mr Griffiths stands at 6ft8in tall, . just two inches shorter than beanpole England footballer Peter Crouch. But his feet are nine sizes bigger than striker Crouch's size 12s. This means that the unemployed welder's footwear options are limited - and expensive. He said: 'They don’t make size 21 . shoes anywhere in the UK. They cost about £50 to have made but because . the boxes they come in are quite big it costs another £50 to have them . mailed back here. 'I’ve got one pair of Nike trainers . and a pair of steel-toe cap boots for work. I had some rugby boots made . as well but they are already too small. 'I have to wear my trainers for everything so they end up looking grubby really quickly. I wish I could have a tidy pair.' One man and his shoe: Mr Griffiths reveals the true extent of how large his footwear is . As he can only wear his trainers on . nights out, Mr Griffiths is often turned away from clubs because his . footwear doesn’t meet the dress code. He said: 'It’s happened a few times . that some places won’t let me in because I’m not wearing shoes, but . usually the boys will come to another club with me.' And the teenager reveals that women regularly chat him up on the dance floor with the line, 'Is it true what they say about men with big feet?' Mr Griffiths' father Wayne, 39, a . size 13, said: 'I don't know where Carl got his big feet from - he . definitely didn't get them from me.'
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Carl Griffiths' feet are 14.5ins long .
By the time he was 12 his feet were size 14, two years later they were a 17 .
No shoes big enough in the UK so they are shipped in from abroad .
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(CNN) -- Three of the largest Sikh advocacy groups in the United States are opposing airport passenger screening measures they say require hand-searches of turbans, despite the use of electronic imaging technology. The Sikh Coalition, United Sikhs and the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund are lobbying members of Congress in an effort to pressure federal transportation authorities to re-examine a policy they say unfairly scrutinizes members of the Sikh community. "Sikh Americans are already looked at differently in this country," said the Sikh Coalition's director of programs, Amardeep Singh. "Once you start pulling Sikhs aside for extra screening, it sends a message that the government is suspicious of them for the same reasons [other passengers] are suspicious of them." The U.S. Transportation Security Administration adjusted security procedures in 2007 to include provisions for "bulky" clothing that includes headwear, according to an agency statement. Removal of all headwear is recommended, it said, but the rules are meant to accommodate passengers who may not want to remove the items for religious, medical, or other reasons. Transportation officials would not confirm whether "advanced imaging technology" can sufficiently see through turbans, citing security reasons. Despite the advent of the advanced technology, transportation security officers are permitted to use "professional discretion" in determining if a particular item of clothing should be subject to further screening, according to the statement. Authorities say the policy has remained unchanged since 2007, but Sikh advocacy groups argue that airport security procedures were recently ramped up to include extra screening for all turban-wearing passengers. Singh said U.S. Sikh groups that had once observed "a patchwork of [airport security] policies" are now witnessing a process in which "all turbans are searched." CNN was not able to independently verify that claim.
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Sikh groups oppose airport screening rules they say now require searches of turbans .
Transportation officials say the policy has not changed .
Security officials can use "professional discretion" to supplement imaging technology .
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If there's one man in football who knows how to deal with noisy neighbours, it's Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson. The 13-time Premier League champion had to put up with Manchester City's millions for the last five years of his reign. Now former Swansea striker Gio Savarese has a similar task as manager of the New York Cosmos, who compete for affection locally with the English champions' sister club New York City FC. Ferguson met up with Savarese and the club's star striker Raul for breakfast on Friday in Manhattan, and perhaps offered advice on how Cosmos could deal with their wealthier neighbours. New York Cosmos striker Raul (left), Sir Alex Ferguson (centre) and Cosmos manager Gio Savarese (right) The former Real Madrid man at his unveiling with Pele, who played for the old New York Cosmos side . La Liga legend Raul poses for photos with supporters after joining the NASL club . Born: June 27 1977 (age 37) 1994-2010: Real Madrid (741 apps, 323 gls) 2010-2012: Schalke 04 (66, 28) 2012-2014: Al Sadd (39, 11) 1996-2006: Spain (102, 44) Savarese has a considerable experience playing in the US, but had never managed a side before taking charge of the Cosmos in 2013. Ironically, Raul's first game will be against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, now part owned by the Spaniard's former Real Madrid strike-partner Ronaldo. Cosmos enjoyed arguably their greatest spell with another Brazilian legend Pele in the late 1970s, and although Raul admitted the team wanted to entertain the crowd like their predecessors, he was more intent on creating a new golden era than trying to emulate former glory. Speaking to ESPN about his recent move, Raul said: 'We shall aim to be an entertaining team, which plays football well. We want to catch people's attention, to win over the crowds. 'The club's history will always be there, but now the club is starting a new chapter.' Raul's former Real Madrid strike partner Ronaldo bought a stake in NASL side the Fort Lauderdale Strikers . Former Real Madrid team-mates Raul and Ronaldo celebrate winning La Liga in 2003 . Frank Lampard will join local rivals New York City FC at the end of the Premier League season .
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New York Cosmos play in the North American Soccer League .
The club have signed former Real Madrid star man Raul .
Their manager is former Swansea and Millwall forward Gio Savarese .
Sir Alex Ferguson was pictured having breakfast with the pair .
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(CNN) -- Colleen Hufford, 54, was beheaded by Alton Nolen during a surprise attack at a Vaughan Foods plant in Oklahoma last week, according to police. Thankfully, before the terrorist -- yes, terrorist -- could behead another victim, Traci Johnson, he was shot by the company's CEO, Mark Vaughan, who is also a deputy sheriff. The terrorist survived. Hufford, a wife, mother, and grandmother, did not. Her husband of 25 years was outside Vaughan Foods that afternoon, waiting to pick her up as he did every day, when he learned she was the victim of a terrorist attack. It was a terrorist attack, and everyone knows it. Why won't the government say so? The Washington Post reports that the FBI found "no indication that Alton Alexander Nolen was copying the beheadings of journalists in Syria by the Islamic State ... adding that they are treating this as an incident of workplace violence." Workplace violence? You can't be serious! Oh wait -- the FBI must mean "workplace violence" as in the case of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the terrorist convicted in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting that killed 13 people and left many more wounded. Oh yeah, I remember that extremist attack carried out by a "soldier of Allah" -- but that's just workplace violence. It doesn't mean anything that Hasan is writing letters from death row to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, begging to become a citizen of the self-procaimed Islamic State. Just a guy who got angry at work. Prosecutor likely to seek death penalty . How dumb do you think we are? Fort Hood was an act of terrorism, the beheading of Hufford was an act of terrorism, and it's time the FBI, the President, and all of us started calling it that. There are three reasons. First, it's important to give this barbaric crime the label it begs for -- not just because of the charges it should carry and the punishment that should be handed down, but because it's important, at every turn, to draw a very clear distinction between ISIS extremists and the silent majority of Muslims who are just as horrified as non-Muslim Americans . More than 100 Muslim clerics and scholars just condemned ISIS, outlining in 17 pages why ISIS' actions are an "offense to Islam, Muslims and to the entire world." They, too, are unfairly tarnished with every barbaric, terrorist act performed in the name of their religion. Second, it's essential if we want to win the war on terror that we understand how technology has changed that war since 9/11. President Obama admitted that the United States "underestimated" ISIS. And in his speech before the United Nations, he described ISIS as a "network of death" that must be defeated. I agree. And this "network of death" has managed to reach beyond the confines of Syria and the Middle East. Thanks to the barbaric beheading videos, ISIS is in our living rooms and our news feeds and on our minds. And that's exactly how ISIS wants it. It makes those snuff videos precisely so we'll watch and talk about it, and so terrorists like Nolen will be inspired to perform acts of terrorism on U.S. soil. You can try to downplay the connection to ISIS by calling Nolen a lone wolf, a copy cat or a nut case, but there is evidence of a very real connection these lone wolves feel to terrorists, and we'd better stop ignoring it and passing it off as "workplace violence." After ISIS beheaded Americans James Foley and Steven Sotloff and British aid worker David Haines, Algerian terrorists kidnapped and beheaded French hiker Herve Gourdel. Just last month Australian authorities uncovered and stopped an alleged terrorist plot to kidnap a random person who would be beheaded in a "demonstration killing." Nolen may not have been part of an active ISIS cell waiting around to make a coordinated strike, but he is a terrorist who sympathized with and was inspired by Islamic fundamentalist militants. Just last week, an ISIS leader, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, released a 42-minute recorded speech directed toward "lone wolf" operations encouraging terrorists like Nolen. "Do not ask for anyone's advice and do not seek anyone's verdict, kill the infidel whether he is civilian or military." I don't know if he watched this ISIS recruitment video, but apparently Nolen did watch beheading videos online. According to an article by Michael Daly in The Daily Beast, in March Nolen posted one to his Facebook page, under the pseudonym Jah'Keem Yisrael, with the caption: . "This do we find the clear precedent that explains the particular penchant of Islamic terrorists to behead their victims, it is merely another precedent bestowed by their Prophet." He also added a citation from the Quran: "I will instill terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers; smite ye about their necks." "Smite" means a heavy blow or stroke with a weapon. The terrorist who killed Colleen Hufford "smote" her neck when he cut it, reportedly with the same knife he used to slice produce when he worked at Vaughan Foods. According to Daly, Nolen posted photos of Osama bin Laden, other jihadis, and the Twin Towers burning. The Christian Science Monitor reported he wrote: "She (the Statue of Liberty) is going into flames. She and anybody who's with her." He posted photos of a woman being flogged, Daly wrote, with the words "Islam will dominate the world. Freedom can go to hell." There's nothing but evidence that Nolen was copying the ISIS beheadings in Syria. So let's drop the political correctness for once and call the Oklahoma beheading what it is -- terrorism.
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Mel Robbins: Woman beheaded in Oklahoma is victim of terrorist attack .
She says FBI calls it workplace violence, but there's evidence of Alton Nolen's focus on ISIS .
She says denying this avoids new realities in war on terror: It's online, can affect us at home .
We risk tarnishing Muslim-Americans, overwhelmingly peace-loving, she says .
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(CNN) -- Referring to two American hikers in custody for more than two years, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told reporters Tuesday: "I am helping to arrange for the release in a couple of days so they will be able to return home." The semi-official Mehr News Agency quickly echoed the president with a headline, "Iran's Judiciary agrees to release two U.S. citizens on bail." Within 24 hours, however, the Shiite clerics who run Iran's legal system seemed to pour cold water on hopes of a quick release by declaring the "request to release two U.S. citizens on bail was under study." They went on to warn the media and the United States that "only reports published by the judiciary could be trusted." At first glance these developments present the Iranian president as a loose cannon, adding to his reputation as a Holocaust denier and 9/11 conspiracy adherent. All those characterizations do apply to Ahmadinejad. But the recent twist in the hikers' plight reflects more than an erratic chief executive or a regime in Tehran that lacks coordination. It represents the latest skirmish in an increasingly high-stakes battle for the future of Iran's politics and society. At the heart of the tussle between Ahmadinejad and his former clerical mentors is the question of whether the Islamic republic and its system of velayat-e faqih, or governance by an Islamic jurist, should endure or be discarded as a disastrous experiment just as a previous attempt by clergymen to rule Iran failed during the Persian Empire of antiquity. Regarding those hikers, the Iranian government's executive branch, including its Foreign Ministry, lobbied publicly for dropping the charges. Ahmadinejad and his appointees, like many other Iranians, see little to gain from continued imprisonment of the two Americans. The presidential office has more pressing matters -- such as a deteriorating economy -- that demand attention. It needs a deal with the West that allows oversight of Iran's nuclear program by the International Atomic Energy Agency in exchange for a lifting of sanctions that would permit foreign capital and goods to reinvigorate local business. The executive branch also has bigger fish to fry ideologically -- its officials realize many Iranians are tired of the Islamic Revolution and of paying for the negative implications of preserving theocracy. So Ahmadinejad and his appointees have learned from the protests of 2009 and launched their own rebellion within the governing elite. Mullahs who subscribe to Shiite fundamentalist politics endorsed Ahmadinejad for the presidency in 2005, expecting him to implement their will through the executive branch. They even went along with much-contested results of the 2009 presidential election despite Ahmadinejad's increasing disregard of mandates from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the theocratic branch of the government, hoping he could be forced to toe their line. What the mullahs did not fully realize until recently is that Ahmadinejad and his supporters have little reason to be loyal to Khamenei and other clergymen for the system of velayat-e faqih is closed to nonclerics. Rather than ascribe to Shiite fundamentalism, as do members of the theocratic and judicial branches of Iran's government, Ahmadinejad, his chief of staff and close confidant, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, and those who support them have been championing Iran's past. They laud prophets, kings and poets such as Zarathushtra, who preached the world's first monotheism in the second millennium B.C.; Cyrus the Great, who founded the first Persian Empire in the sixth century B.C.; and Ferdowsi, who composed the country's national epic in the 11th century -- referring to that past as the "school of Iran." Islam pales when compared to those achievements and so does the theocratic state of modern Iran, they insist. Not surprisingly the mullahs have begun denouncing Ahmadinejad and his appointees as a "deviant current" that seeks to "restrict the powers of the supreme leader, increase the authority of the elected president, base authority within the executive and parliamentary branches of government, use public referendums rather than clerical edicts, and change the Islamic Constitution ... in order to dismantle clerical rule." The powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leadership finds its ranks divided between the warring factions of Iran's polity. Like the president, military officers and conscripts are rarely from clerical families and historically have thrown their lot in with Iran's secular leadership. Consequently when Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Ali Jafari, who was appointed by and is loyal to the mullahs, threatened "military action against the president and all others who disavow the Islamic Revolution," accusations of contemplating a coup were leveled. Even the Islamic republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was quoted posthumously as prohibiting military units from intervening in politics. Within the context of Iran's intra-regime struggle, the hikers' conviction on charges of illegal entry and espionage by a judiciary under cleric Sadeq Larijani emerges as yet another attempt by xenophobic mullahs to thwart Ahmadinejad's albeit fumbling attempts to re-engage the United States. Ahmadinejad's offer of a "unilateral pardon of course on behalf of the Iranian nation" was in turn a warning shot to those clergymen that he could exercise the presidency's constitutional authority if this matter is not resolved satisfactorily. Like his other defiant acts, which include ousting fundamentalists from the Cabinet and bureaucracy, it also was a means of conveying to Iranians that the president is seeking "closure of the era in which clergy call the shots." Even in ideal circumstances, Iran's supreme leader has to navigate most cautiously between competing political factions within the branches of government to retain his position. These are far from the best of times in Tehran. Khamenei conceded recently that "the supreme Islamic jurist cannot act solely according to his inclination." Ahmadinejad, although rightly abhorred on the world stage for his bad words and deeds, is far from politically impotent and will likely continue to press an increasingly secularist vision of government upon the mullahs, knowing his new stances make him one of the three most popular politicians, none of them fundamentalists, within Iran. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jamsheed K. Choksy.
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Jamsheed K. Choksy: The uncertain status of two U.S. hikers reflects Iran divisions .
He says President Mahoud Ahamadinejad is locked in struggle with mullahs .
Iran's president is challenging the idea of Islamic theocracy, Choksy says .
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An unrenovated one bedroom apartment in Kirribilli has gone under the hammer for $1,255,000. The unit doesn't even come with a parking space or balcony. It does however have one redeeming feature: an astounding view of both the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. According to Raine & Horne Neutral Bay director Stewart Robertson, it was this view that attracted eight registered bidders and pushed the sale price $25,000 above the reserve on Saturday. Scroll down for video . Stunning: The view from 10/11 Waruda Street Kirribilli, which sold for $1.25 million over the weekend . According to Raine & Horne Neutral Bay director Stewart Robertson,the view was the deciding factor in the price of the apartment . The lone bedroom inside the property, which sold for double the suburb's median price for one-bedroom units, which is $612,000. The investor couple who bought the property payed double the suburb's median price for one-bedroom units, which is $612,000. Owned by one family for many years, the apartment at 10/11 Waruda Street has been rented out for the past 14 years at the same rate of $560 a week. It is sized at 64sqm, and situated a short walk from Kirribilli Village shops. The new owners plan to renovate the apartment in order to make the most of the view. The couple will then rent it out for an estimated $900 a week before living in the apartment at a later time reports Sydney Morning Herald. The outside of 10/11 Waruda Street, which is sized at 64sqm, and situated a short walk from Kirribilli shops . The apartment has been rented out to one family for the past 14 years, at the same rate of $560 a week. The sale comes after an Economist study revealed that Australia is now the most overpriced housing market in the world. In July investors borrowed a record $5.3 billion to sink into the property market, the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show. Investor loans now account for a 58.6 per cent of all housing finance in NSW. It comes after an Economist study revealed that Australia is now the most overpriced housing market in the world, and a separate study from Sydney Morning Herald showing Australia is the second most expensive housing market, when measured against incomes and rents. The inflation in prices is believed to be a result of demand for Australian properties now exceeding the supply. Eight registered bidders participated in the auction on Saturday, which saw the property sell for $25,000 above reserve . The floor-plan of the property, which does not come with a parking space or a balcony .
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One bedroom unit sells for $25,000 over reserve .
Raine & Horne Neutral Bay director Stewart Robertson says the view was the deciding factor in the price .
Apartment is sized at 64sqm .
Australia is now the most overpriced housing market in the world .
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Police are searching for a man with a 'large and heavy' suitcase after confirming they are now treating the disappearance of a teenage girl as a murder inquiry. Jayden Parkinson, 17, from Oxford, was last seen leaving Didcot Parkway train station in south Oxfordshire on December 3 and hasn't been seen since. Yesterday police revealed their missing person investigation is now a murder inquiry - despite no body having yet been found. Police were today combing a field near Upton as part of the investigation, and were urging members of the public not to organise their own searches for the teenager. Scroll down for video . Missing: Jayden was last seen leaving Didcot Parkway train station (pictured) on December 3. Police have launched a murder inquiry and they're looking for a man with a 'large heavy suitcase' in search for her body . Fear: Police, including experts in forensics suits, were today continuing to search for missing Jayden, who they believe has been murdered . Critical: Police say officers have reached a 'critical time' in the investigation as they continue to search for the 17-year-old . Search: A police cordon by the church in Upton, Oxfordshire as officers continue to search for Jayden . Superintendent Christian Bunt said the investigation was focusing on the village of Upton and a grassed area off Lydalls Road in Didcot. 'We are continuing with our extensive search with our missing person enquiry,' he told Sky News. 'I would like to thank the public firstly as there's a huge amount of information coming in and a lot of vital lines of enquiry we are following. Please keep that information forthcoming. 'We have got two significant search areas at the moment. We continue to focus on the area in Upton just outside of Didcot and we understand that is having a big impact on the local community. 'It's quite an extensive search area and we have got lots of officers there and we now have a fairly significant search area in the Lydalls Road area of Didcot. 'We've got a lot of resources attached to the operation, over 100 officers, specialist search and investigative officers and it's also important to mention we have specialist officers with the family supporting them. Police have arrested two men on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with the disappearance of 17-year-old Jayden Parkinson, pictured . A 22-year-old, believed to be the boyfriend of the teen (pictured), and a 17-year-old are both being held by Thames Valley Police . 'I understand the communities, particularly in the Didcot and the Upton areas, are affected by this operation.' A spokesman for Thames Valley Police . said a 17-year-old boy had walked into a police station in Oxfordshire . on Friday afternoon and was arrested on the spot on suspicion of murder. Another . 22-year-old man - believed to be her boyfriend - was arrested at his . home in Reading and remains in police custody on suspicion of murder. Police have said that he was 'in a relationship' with Jayden but would not say how long the pair had known each other. Detectives have said that they are now searching for Jayden's body after she disappeared on December 3. Detective . Chief Superintendent Andy Murray said police were now focusing on . trying to find a man who was seen with a large suitcase in a field in . the small village of Upton in the early hours of December 9. 'That . suitcase was large, it was heavy, it was difficult to manage and that . man was having difficulty removing that suitcase from that area,' he . said. Mr Murray said the same man with the suitcase was seen in nearby Didcot about half an hour later. Warning: Police have urged members of the public not to organise their own searches as they could jeopardise the investigation . Scene: A forensics tent, guarded by a uniformed officer, has been put up in a field at the centre of the search . The man has been described as about . 20, white, about 5'6' tall of medium to slim build, with short dark . hair. The suitcase was about 3' by 2' and about 15' deep and light . coloured, probably made of canvas material. Mr . Murray said police were also searching addresses Jayden 'may be . associated with'. Police also uncovered a recycling bin in Didcot to try . to find evidence, he said. Mr . Murray said officers were certain the man spotted in Upton with the . suitcase was the same man seen shortly after in Didcot, but could not . say why. He said Jayden's family were still hoping for the best. 'As you might imagine, they are distraught,' he said. 'They've still got hope but they are distraught and they want their daughter to come home.' Hunt: A police cordon and a pair of floodlights could be seen in a field near Upton . Probe: Police say approximately 50 detectives are searching for Jayden . Police search the countryside near Upton in Oxfordshire for the body of missing Oxford teenager Jayden Parkinson, 17 . But . Mr Murray said the fact Jayden had not used her phone or accessed her . bank account since the disappearance could indicate a worse scenario. 'I'm . afraid the detective in me leads me to conclude that Jayden may well . have been murdered and that's why we have approximately 50 detectives . out there still trying to find Jayden, still trying to find evidence . that might lead to somebody being convicted if she has been murdered,' he said. Senior police . officers today warned members of the public not to organise their own . searches for the missing teenager, as they could jeopardise the police . investigation. Supt Bunt said: 'At this stage it is a critical time in our investigation in to the disappearance of Jayden Parkinson. There are currently a number of search scenes in the Didcot and the surrounding locality. We appreciate the public’s co-operation and understanding while this takes place. 'Due to the nature of the police searches taking place we would request the public refrain from organising their own search activity at this stage to avoid the risk of jeopardising the investigation. Scene: . Jayden had moved out of her family home in Didcot 'a matter of weeks' before she vanished from a youth hostel in Oxford called 1 Foot Forward . (on this road), around mid-afternoon . 'We continue to appreciate the . public’s help and support and continue to appeal for anyone with any . information to contact us on 101.' Jayden is white, of slim build with shoulder-length dark brown hair and brown eyes. She . was wearing light blue faded jeans, a brown hooded top with red . lettering on it, a black waist-length jacket, and dark trainers when she . was last seen. It is . believed she walked up the High Street through the town centre, arriving . at Oxford train station at 4.07pm, where she boarded a train to Didcot. The last sighting of her is when she left Didcot train station at about . 4.27pm. Yesterday, . officers were seen investigating close to a disused railway line between . Upton and Didcot following an 'incident' there. The teen lived with her mother Samantha, pictured, in Didcot, Oxon . Mr Murray said: 'There was an incident in that area on the evening of December 8 leading into December 9. 'Something . suspicious happened. I can't go into any detail, but if there's anyone . who was out and about in that area that night and saw something . suspicious, we ask them to get in touch with us.' Jayden, . who was nicknamed Tiny by her mother, had moved out of her family home . in Didcot 'a matter of weeks' before she vanished from the Oxford hostel. The youngster left school last summer . after taking her GCSEs and was not believed to be studying or in . employment at the time of her disappearance. She was said to have often changed her hair colour. Until recently, she had lived with her mother, Samantha Shrewsbury, and her sister in Didcot. Her worried mother had posted various messages on Facebook in the last week. One . message posted today - before news of the murder arrest - said: 'To my . Tiny, Princess listen you are not in any trouble at all, we all just . want to know you are safe and well babe plz plz if you are able to . contact anyone even if it’s to say pee off I’m ok just please please let . us know ur ok xxx.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
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Jayden Parkinson, 17, has been missing from Oxford since December 3 .
Two men, aged 22 and 17, have been arrested and are being questioned .
The 22-year-old was 'in relationship' with Jayden police have confirmed .
Detectives hunting for a man seen carrying a 'large and heavy suitcase'
He was seen with the suitcase in a field and later in nearby Didcot .
Public urged not to organise their own searches for missing teen .
Police have reached a 'critical time' in investigation .
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A sexy workout class aimed at women over the age of 18 has been revamped and is being marketed at female high school students aged 13 and up. The female-only Vixen Workout, the brainchild of former Miami Heat cheerleader Janet Jones, has previously only been available to adults because of its overtly sexual content and potty-mouthed playlists. But due to popular demand, Vixen Workout's trainers have created a special toned-down version of the popular dance class which is suitable for girls aged between 13 and 18. And according to the workout's website, the PG-13 classes will offer the same liberating experience, 'minus the #%$&@'. All the fun, minus the #%$&@: The PG-13 workout will encourage the same fun-filled, female-focused workout but without any rude language . Become your inner star: The class encourages girls to embrace their alter-ego and abandon all their responsibilities, even if it's just for an hour . Thus far the classes have proven incredibly popular with young teens eager to get a slice of the Vixen lifestyle, which is aimed at encourage women to let loose, forget their responsibilities and have fun, even if it's just for the hour that they are in the class. 'The main reason I was excited for this PG-13 Vixen Class was because now my friends are going to feel how I felt when I went to Vixen,' Manolie, a 15-year-old ambassador for the brand, told Racked.com. 'They are going to feel confident and good about themselves. 'For me it's important that every teen who goes to this class feels this way, because I know what it's like to feel bad about yourself and to feel unconfident. I can't wait for whats in store for PG-13 Vixen!' According to Ms Jones, who first started the classes when she was laid off from her corporate job in 2012, the classes provide a haven for women who are in need of an escape - and that same philosophy applies no matter what age the participant. 'Each Vixen Workout creates a fun club atmosphere where women can let loose, forget responsibilities, and transform into their “alter-ego” or as we say “getting your Beyonce, Ciara, Rihanna on”,' the Vixen website says. '[The classes] give women a safe haven to be a little rebellious with no judgments while working out, and having the ultimate ME time.' 'They give women a safe haven': Girls get the chance to enjoy the 'ultimate ME time' during the class . 'Damn I look good': Participants are told to doll themselves up for the class and feel as positive about themselves as possible by embracing their 'inner Beyonce (L) or Rihanna (R) Women who take part in the classes are told to wear make-up and dress up for the classes - rather than just wearing a tatty old t-shirt as many people do while working out. 'Unlike other workouts, we want you to get dolled up to sweat it all off an hour later,' the website adds. 'We want you to look in that mirror and confidently scream out "Damn, I look good!"' While the classes are currently only being offered at the Vixen Workout studios in Miami, it looks as though the incredible success of the PG-13 program could lead to it being rolled out across their other US bases soon.
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The sexy dance class has previously been restricted to women over the age of 18 who want to 'let loose and forget their responsibilities'
Creator Janet Jones, a former Miami Heat cheerleader, claims that the 13+ workout will offer the same experience, but without any rude elements .
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She is better know for strutting her stuff on the catwalks of the world. But Laura Bailey was at Heathrow today to launch the new-look Terminal 5 after a £40million makeover. The style icon, model and author Laura Bailey was on hand to launch the airport's new array of high-end shops for fashionable flyers, from Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Rolex to Fortnum & Mason and Bottega Veneta. After a £41 million investment and 18 months of renovation, Heathrow's Terminal 5 has now reopened . The star donned a midi-length cream dress and tan-coloured sandals to strut along the terminal's walkways, clutching a shopaholic's dream collection of bags. The terminal now has a collection of 22 fashion and luxury brands, each newly-redesigned to remain on-brand with their flagship location. The first Fortnum & Mason store and bar at an airport is another exciting addition to Heathrow. At the exclusive bar, customers will be able to indulge in Fortnum's famous selection of tea, or enjoy a glass of champagne, before browsing the latest fashion-forward styles. On hand for the big reveal was fashion icon, model and author Laura Bailey . For the launch, Laura visited the terminal's exclusive Fortnum & Mason bar for a bit of champagne . The Fortnum & Mason store is one of the airport's collection of 22 fashion and luxury brand destinations . To celebrate the big reveal, Laura Bailey spent the day at Terminal 5, keeping an eye out for some of the most trendy passengers. 'Starting my travels at Heathrow is always a pleasurable experience,' Laura said. 'The airport has an excellent selection of luxury brands and houses some of my favourite designers. 'Heathrow's Terminal 5 is one of my favourite retail destinations in the world. - Bottega Veneta . - Burberry . - Cartier . - Dior . - Fortnum & Mason . - Gucci . - Hermes . - Louis Vuitton . - Montblanc . - Mulberry . - Prada . - Rolex . - Smythson . - Tiffany & Co . - Paul Smith . - Barbour . - Cath Kidson . - Hackett . - John Lewis . - John Smedley . - Joules . - Kin . - Kurt Geiger . - LK Bennett . - Michael Kors . - Sunglass Hut . - Ted Baker . - Thomas Pink . - Zara . Source: Heathrow Airport . 'With the likes of Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Bottega Veneta, Burberry and Dior, pre-flight retail therapy has never been more exciting.' Heathrow Terminal 5 has been voted by passengers as 'Best Airport for Shopping' five years in a row. It's also been voted the world's 'Best Airport Terminal' three years in a row. 'Heathrow's Terminal 5 is a great venue to hunt down some of the world's most stylish travellers,' she added. 'With so many fashion-forward people travelling daily, it's no surprise that the airport attracts the world's biggest and best luxury brands.' Throughout the day, Laura spent time with fashionable flyers, scouting out trendy visitors . Among the newly-opened offerings: Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Rolex and Bottega Veneta . The airport has an excellent selection of brands and houses some of my favourite designers, Laura says . John Holland-Kaye, CEO of Heathrow said: 'Our ambition is to take Heathrow from being one of the best airports in Europe to one of the best in the world – we have always been famous for the quality of our retail experience. Today, we have taken it to a new level.' Andrew Crawley, British Airways' Chief Commercial Officer, said: 'The addition of these new stores to our flagship home, Heathrow Terminal 5, is great news for our customers. 'Our travellers are very discerning, appreciate good design and want to make the most of their time and money - it's why they fly with British Airways in the first place. 'Being able to pick up a little something from these exclusive brands as part of their flying experience is a real bonus.'
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Following a £40m investment, Terminal 5 reopened today after 18 months .
On hand to celebrate was fashion icon, model and author Laura Bailey .
New high-end stores include: Louis Vuitton, Rolex and Fortnum & Mason .
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New York (CNN) -- It came as no surprise to anyone who is a baseball fan that last year on September 28 a flurry of articles marked the 50th anniversary of Ted Williams' final game. Williams ended his career as few major leaguers do, with a home run in his final at bat. But this year as we approach the 51st anniversary of the game that ended Williams' career in 1960, it is time to turn our attention to novelist John Updike. It is the story Updike wrote for the New Yorker, "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu," that has allowed Williams' last hurrah to take on a life of its own and that last year prompted critic Charles McGrath to argue that "Hub Fans" is "probably the most celebrated baseball essay ever." Thanks to Updike, Williams' last home run is far better known than his even more remarkable feat -- which took place exactly 70 years ago this month --- of going six for eight on the final day of the 1941 season to lift his average to .406 and become the last man in baseball to hit .400. Like Updike, I was at Williams' final game. I cut the graduate school poetry class I normally went to three afternoons a week for the chance to see Williams end his career. I had expected to get stuck sitting in the center field bleachers, but Fenway Park was not even half filled. Only 10,454 fans showed up for the game with the Baltimore Orioles. The Red Sox were a seventh-place ball club in 1960, and even for Ted Williams, most Bostonians were unwilling to take off work on a Wednesday afternoon so gloomy that in the sixth inning the stadium lights were turned on. I got good seats along the third base line, and in the fifth inning I was able to move down to the field boxes next to the visitors' dugout. The ushers could not have cared less. Before the game Williams was honored with a Paul Revere silver bowl and speeches from Boston's mayor and Red Sox television announcer Curt Gowdy, but the ceremonies felt perfunctory. Like the small Fenway Park crowd, they reflected Boston's divided view of Ted Williams. He was someone to admire but not to love, and in his final game he stayed true to form. In his last time at bat in an otherwise meaningless game, Williams pulled his miracle. In the eighth inning on the third pitch to him, he hit a towering home run to right field that cleared the Red Sox bullpen with plenty to spare. It was the 521st home run in a baseball career that had been interrupted by service as a Marine pilot during World War II and the Korean War. The home run was the perfect stage exit, but as Williams trotted around the bases with his head down, he made no effort to dwell on the drama of the moment. Once in the Red Sox dugout, he refused to come out despite the chants of "We want Ted," and when at the start of the ninth inning manager Mike Higgins sent Williams out to his left field position, then instantly replaced him, he jogged back to the Red Sox dugout with his eyes firmly on the ground. As he had done since the end of his first year in the major leagues, Williams refused to tip his hat to the applauding fans. The Ted Williams whom Updike describes is a man divided between pride in his craft and determination to avoid making himself vulnerable to the whims of fans. But what sets Williams apart in Updike's account is that his internal and external struggles have taken place before thousands in stadiums across the country. In his role as a marquee athlete, he has not had privacy since his rookie year of 1939. As much as our contemporary culture will allow, Ted Williams is a man of mythic dimensions, . In Updike's story, ironically titled to sound as if it belonged on the sports page, Williams is both "Achilles, the hero of incomparable powers and beauty," and a figure who at rest looks like "Donatello's David." But always he is larger than life. Circling the bases following his home run, Williams moves for Updike "like a feather caught in a vortex." Updike was able to capture more than any of us saw that afternoon at Fenway Park, and with the passage of time, his story of Ted Williams' final game has become more powerful than the original experience. Updike's account is all that thousands who were never at Fenway Park that fall afternoon, and who now outnumber those of us there, know of the heights on which Williams left the game. If Williams is our Achilles, then Updike is our Homer. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Nicolaus Mills.
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Nicolaus Mills: This year marks 70th anniversary of Ted Williams' .400 season .
Mills says John Updike told lyrical story of Williams' final game .
Williams hit a homerun in his last at bat, delighting a sparse crowd .
Williams declined to acknowledge the cheers of the fans .
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By . James Nye . PUBLISHED: . 18:32 EST, 30 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 19:05 EST, 30 January 2014 . Shackled: Philip Chism, 15, from Danvers, Masschusetts., enters the courtroom with his attorney Denise Regan before his arraignment on a second rape charge in Salem Superior Court on Thursday . The Massachusetts teenager who allegedly slashed his math teacher to death and then went to catch a movie and a burger pleaded not guilty today to a second aggravated rape charge. Attorney's for Philip Chism, 15, entered the plea on his behalf as he stood silently with his head bowed and feet shackled during a brief hearing in Essex Superior Court. Around two dozen people attended the hearing, including members of 24-year-old Danvers High School teacher Colleen Ritzer, who left without commenting. Ritzer was found dead in the woods near the school in October. Her throat was slit and a note reading, 'I hate you all' was found at the scene. Chism, who had been asked to stay late by Ritzer to help after school, allegedly followed her into a bathroom shortly before 3 pm on October 22 and attacked her, sexually assaulted her twice, stripped her and then stole her cellphone, credit cars and her driver's licenses. According to investigators her body was then placed in a recycling bin and carted away to a wooded area behind the school and dumped. During the violent assault on Ritzer, Chismm, who was then aged, 14, allegedly raped her twice, one of the assaults was committed with a stick. Not guilty: Philip Chism, 15, from Danvers, Mass., stands with his attorneys, Susan Oker, (left), and Denise Regan, (right), as he pleads not guilty at his arraignment on a second rape charge in Salem Superior Court on Thursday . He had previously pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, robbery and murder. In court documents released last week, state police said Chism confessed to killing Ritzer, but denied sexually assaulting her. Tragic: Danvers High School teacher Colleen Ritzer is seen in this undated file photo provided by Ritzer's family via The Eagle-Tribune. Philip Chism, a 15-year-old boy charged with killing Ritzer . According to the documents, Chism made the statements while being interviewed at the Danvers Police Station, after waiving his Miranda rights. The first rape charge accused Chism of sexually assaulting Ritzer with a stick. The second charge, filed last week, alleges he forcibly had sexual intercourse with her. Court documents released in November describe surveillance video showing Chism following Ritzer into a school bathroom with gloves and a hood. Footage also shows Chism carrying a recycling bin into the bathroom then dragging it out behind the building. The recycling bin was found near Ritzer's body, police said. A hard drive of the school's surveillance footage was submitted as evidence before the court hearing Thursday. Attorneys also discussed whether Chism will be charged as a juvenile or adult offender on the new rape count. A decision is expected by early March. However, despite all the evidence against the teenager, the Freshman soccer star refuses to tell anyone why he did it. Silent: Philip Chism, 15, from Danvers, Mass., sits with his defense team in court as his attorney's addresses the judge during his arraignment on a second rape charge in Salem Superior Court on Thursday . Detectives are working on a theory that Chism – who only moved to Danvers from Clarksville, Tennessee at the start of the school year – was 'infatuated' with Colleen, 24 and snapped when she spurned his advances. But they cannot find any proof. The Essex County District Attorney's office have told the MailOnline they do not have any idea why Chism allegedly did what he did. They also said that, while they are trying to uncover a motive, it is not their primary focus as they do not need one to secure a conviction. A spokeswoman said: 'The motive is part of any investigation, but ultimately we don't have to prove a motive. When you are piecing together any investigation, you are looking for an explanation, but I wouldn't want characterize where we are with that at this stage. Honestly, who knows why anyone would do something like this.' Another police source previously described Chism as 'stone cold' on the night of the killing and said that while he confessed to the crime, he would not give any indication why he did it. Colleen, left, is the oldest of three children (pictured here). She still lived with her parents in nearby Andover and was going to graduate school to be a school psychologist . Friends and family of Chism are equally mystified by the crime. His mother Diana - who is separated from his father Stacey - said her son was, 'born in love' and that she is, 'struggling to understand' the murder. Tragic: Colleen Ritzer, 24, was found dead behind Danvers High School on Wednesday morning . Detectives are also trying to retrieve data from Philip Chism's Samsung smartphone, which they found badly mangled in the woods outside Danvers High School - near the body of teacher Colleen Ritzer. 'It is not unusual for individuals involved in homicides, particularly sexually violent homicides, to memorialize their victims’ deaths through photographic, audio and or video media for further humiliation of the victim or later viewing, for guilt relief or enjoyment,' Massachusetts state police detective Steven J. Buccheri wrote in newly-released documents, according to the Boston Herald. Police found Chism's cell phone and Ritzer's iPhone both crushed in the woods. They believe he destroyed both phones in an effort to conceal what he had done. Officers say they also believe Chism returning to the school - barefoot - and changed out of his bloody clothes and into his soccer uniform. He then dumped his soiled school clothes, walked around the school soccer fields, and went to see the Woody Allen movie 'Blue Jasmine' at a nearby theater. When police stopped him on a roadside and arrested him hours later, he had Ritzer's underwear in his pocket - along with a bloody boxcutter, according to police. In November a grand jury charged him with a second count of aggravated rape and revealed he had raped her before murdering her and and dumping her body with a large tree branch sticking from her genitals. Prosecutors believe Philip Chism forced Colleen Ritzer to have sex with him after dragging her into a teachers' bathroom at Danvers High School, where she was a teacher and he was a student. Chism already faced one aggravated rape charge for allegedly sexually assaulting Ritzer with a large stick. Her body was found on her back in a 'sexual position' with the three-foot branch inside her on October 22. Philip Chism, 14, looked down during a court appearance in December in which he pleaded not guilty to rape, murder and robbery charges . Prosecutors said a psychological exam revealed that the teen is mentally competent to stand trial . Prosecutors revealed that psychologists who evaluated Chism have concluded that he is mentally competent to stand trial, the Boston Globe reports. However, his lawyers said they may raise issues about his mental health, if they deem it relevant to the legal proceedings.
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Phillip Chism, a 15-year-old Massachusetts boy charged with killing his math teacher today pleaded not guilty to a second charge of raping her .
Chism allegedly murdered his teacher Colleen Ritzer, 24, in October .
He allegedly killed her with a box-cutter then dumped her body in a recycling bin behind Danvers High School .
Chism 'went to see Woody Allen movie after the killing' and was the only one in the theater .
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By . Mia De Graaf . PUBLISHED: . 15:34 EST, 15 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:44 EST, 15 December 2013 . This is the horrific moment a zebra foal fell prey to a float of crocodiles after stumbling at the last minute crossing the Mara River in Kenya. The frail youngster had waited with the rest of its herd until it was safe to cross the stream. But when they finally took the plunge, the foal lost his footing in the deeper water and became isolated from the group. Tragic: Almost at the other side of the Mara River in Kenya, this young foal slipped away from his herd and was captured by a preying crocodile . Within seconds, three more emerged from the murky water to pull the foal into their clutches as the rest of the herd could do nothing but flee . Before any of its cousins could turn around, the zebra was pulled into the river by one of the looming tetrapods. It was a tragic end to a meticulous river crossing that lasted almost an hour. Zimbabwe-born amateur photographer Michael Olsen, who captured the event in the Maasai Mara National Reserve described how close the foal came to escaping. Mr Olsen, 60, said: 'It was an incredibly tense situation . in which obviously we were hoping that all the zebra would make the . crossing safely. They nearly did. Waiting: The herd of dozens were at first drinking the water from the river in Maasai Mara National Reserve . Calculating: They had to cross to continue their migration to Tanzania in search of fresh grazing, but spent almost an hour biding their time to move at the right moment . 'It . was quite amazing to watch the way in which the zebra communicated as a . herd when preparing for the crossing and also seeing the ambush . strategy of the crocodiles in action.' Led by a mature zebra stallion, nicknamed 'Captain Courageous' by Mr Olsen, the herd had to cross the river in order to continue their migration to Tanzania in search of fresh grazing. Operating on the principle that there is safety in numbers, the zebras waited until the herd numbers had swelled to a significant number to make the crossing en masse. Captain Courageous: Led by the mature stallion, nicknamed Captain Courageous by amateur photographer Michael Olsen, they eventually made their move . Tightly-formed group: They meticulously filed into the stream close together to form a protective line that would be difficult for crocodiles to break into safely . After patrolling the river bank to find the best crossing spot, 'Captain Courageous' swam to the far shore - then bravely returned to the north bank after realising that the rest of the herd had failed to follow his lead after getting spooked by a hippo. However, the herd committed to the second crossing and they filed into the water in two distinct lines, following each other closely for safety. 'The crocs had taken up ambush positions in the river above and below the crossing point,' Mr Olsen, currently based in Accra, Ghana, said. 'There were a few unsuccessful attempts made by the crocs to grab a zebra and a few extremely close escapes. Two lines: As this group plough through the deep water, others trot further up stream to form a similar line to complete the operation quickly while their predators are at bay . Slipped: But this is the moment a baby zebra at the back of the line lost its footing in the deep water and fumbled to clamber to safety . 'There were also a number of crocs who were certainly trampled under the frenzied hooves of the zebra.' Most of the animals had completed the crossing when suddenly one of the younger zebra foals lost his footing in the deeper water, drifting from the protection of the line. Within a second, the crocodile launched, snapping its powerful jaws over the muzzle, breaking its bones instantly, before dragging the zebra foal beneath the water. Attack: As if out of nowhere, the predator leaps up from beneath the murky water and wraps its jaws around the young zebra's head, despite its attempts to turn away . Moving: Mr Olsen said the moment was difficult to watch as such a young animal fell prey to a calculating crocodile . 'We felt very helpless and sad to see how a vulnerable young animal can so easily become prey,' Mr Olsen added. 'As soon as it became separated from the safety of the crossing line it was attacked - all it took was one mistake. 'We left in a very sombre mood. The reality of nature can be quite harsh. 'The zebra were so focused on surviving the crossing amidst the threat of the crocodiles - they just carried on, while the crocodiles went into a complete feeding frenzy - floating downstream and out of sight like a raft.'
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The young animal became isolated from the others at the last minute in the Maasai Mara National Reserve .
Zimbabwe-born amateur photographer Michael Olsen, 60, captured the devastating example of nature in action .
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A witness in the Michael Brown trial claimed she had filmed the unarmed teen being shot with his hands in the air, but then lost the footage after she dropped her phone down the toilet. The witness, a mother-of-four, lives in an apartment complex adjacent to the street in Ferguson, Missouri, where Brown was killed by Officer Darren Wilson on August 9. Identified as 'Witness 41' in grand jury records released by St. Louis prosecutors, she testified on October 27 that Brown was shot while on his knees with his hands up. A witness in the Michael Brown trial claimed she had filmed the unarmed teen being shot with his hands in the air, but then lost the footage after she dropped her phone down the toilet . The woman didn't mention the recording while on the witness stand, but told prosecutors in passing as she leaving along with her godson, known as 'Witness 42'. According to prosecutor Kathi Alizadeh, she commented that it was 'too bad there weren't surveillance cameras in the complex' during the conversation in a corridor as the witness were leaving . 'Witness 41' replied that 'she had video of 'the entire thing on her phone' but had 'dropped the phone in the toilet' reports The Smoking Gun. Alizadeh then asked if she could have the phone so it could undergo a 'forensic examination' to determine if the video could be recovered. 'Witness 41' then explained that she had thrown the phone away because she was so mad. Rather than a missed opportunity for vital evidence which could have impacted the verdict, the bizarre admission seemed to harm the witness' credibility. 'Witness 41' testified on October 27 that she saw Officer Darren Wilson shot Michael Brown while he was on his knees with his hands up . Alizadeh notes that 'Witness 42', her godson – who lived next door – indicated that he had not heard the information before. 'This was news to him as well because he asked her where is the phone and, you know, he seemed to indicate that he had not heard that information before,' she told jurors. 'So I thought it was important that you know that.' Prosecutors gave the panel the option of recalling 'Witness 41' for further sworn testimony, but she never returned to the witness stand. The witness had first been interviewed about the case in her apartment on August 26, but had failed to mention any recording of the event. Instead ‘Witness 41’ told FBI agents that Officer Wilson had stood over his teenage victim and ‘just finished him up’ with a shot to the head. The interview took place prior to the publication of details of Brown’s autopsy which showed that he was not shot in the back or ‘finished’ by Wilson. The witness, a mother-of-four, lives in an apartment complex adjacent to the street in Ferguson, Missouri, where Brown was killed by Officer Darren Wilson on August 9 . When one of the FBI agents told 'Witness 41' that he didn’t believe her claims she became upset. She asked the interviewer to erase the recording of her interview and when they declined, she picked up the recorder and shut it off. After agreeing to resume the interview, ‘Witness 41’ said her ‘first statement was not completely true.’ When she retold her account, she changed one important fact and said her vantage point had been from behind Brown, not in front of the teenager. Despite all this, ‘Witness 41’ was called before the Ferguson grand jury and told the panel that she has been diagnosed with ‘mood swings, three personalities,’ and takes pills for a mental health condition.
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'Witness 41' didn't mention the recording while on the witness stand, but told prosecutors in passing as she leaving .
The mom-of-four was asked if the phone could undergo a 'forensic examination' to determine if the video could be recovered .
'Witness 41' explained that she had thrown the phone away because she was so mad .
Rather than a missed opportunity for vital evidence, the admission seemed to have harmed the witness' credibility and she wasn't called back .
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By . Ryan Gorman . and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:53 EST, 22 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:59 EST, 22 February 2014 . The Indian husband who stabbed to death an American social worker admitted to a previous killing during a marital spat, the woman's father is now claiming. Erin Willinger, 35, a yoga teacher and psychologist from New York, was found Thursday dumped on the side of a road in Agra, India, with multiple stab wounds to her face and body. Her husband, 32-year-old Bunty Sharma, returned to their home after killing and committed suicide by blowing himself up, according to local media. Andrew Willinger claimed to ABC News his daughter fled the apartment she shared with Sharma in the city known for the famous Taj Mahal after he admitted to previously being imprisoned for killing a friend. Loss: Erin Willinger, from New York, was killed by her Indian husband in India on Thursday evening . Tragic: Willinger had only moved to Agra, India in July and met Bunty Sharma, left, whom she married in October. After killing her on Thursday, he returned to their home and blew himself up . 'He tells her this story thinking that she would understand. She was appalled and she basically left within weeks of their wedding,' said the grieving father. He also refuted local reports that they accused each other of lying about previous . marriages, saying she knew of his previous wife because she was the mother of his six-year-old son. The previous wife died of an illness, he added. The father said his daughter was romantically with Sharma, but that the marriage was more of an effort to be accepted by the community than anything else - it was also against his wishes. 'She gets the idea that getting married would both get to be part of the community and be part of the family,' Andrew Willinger told ABC. 'It led to doing something official in court against my strong objection, but she just was determined.' Willinger had visited Agra - which is about 120 miles south of New Delhi - with a group of Americans in July and chose to stay after telling the Indo-Asian News Service she wanted to help make the city worthy of 'such a beautiful monument as the Taj Mahal'. After arriving in the city, she met Sharma, a cab driver, and the pair married quickly - celebrating on a rooftop restaurant in front of the Taj Mahal. Officials records note they married on October 11. But within weeks, their marriage began to crumble and by December, they started living separately. Both accused the other of hiding previous marriages and Willinger, who went by the alias Kiran Sharma and also uses the name Erin White, accused her new husband of greed, infidelity and cruelty, the Hindustan Times initially reported. White approached the Agra Police's . Mediation Cell for Family Matters in January, asking for help and the . couple was put in touch with a counselor, who encouraged them to start . living together again, something her father says she never wanted to do. Suicide: Neighbors rushed to save Sharma after hearing an explosion in his apartment but they found his charred body (center, pixelated) after he apparently lit cooking gas to kill himself . Motive: Bundy allegedly killed her amid arguments over infidelity and lies about their previous marriages . The terrified woman recently filed divorce papers, according to her father, and had only gone to the counselor thinking it was part of the dissolution process. She had hoped to remain friends though, he said. 'As far as she told me in conversation, that was required and she never intended for it to reconcile the marriage,' Andrew Willinger told ABC. 'She hoped there could be something amicable [between them].' His daughter remained in touch with Sharma's young son, often visiting the boy to make sure he was doing well, Andrew Willinger added. The last visit appears to have come on Thursday evening, when Sharma reportedly drove Willinger to a quieter section of the city and stabbed her to death in his . taxi cab. He then is said to have tossed her body in bushes along the road, the Hindustan Times reported. The previously convicted murderer then returned home and spent his final moments locked in a second floor room. Local residents then said they heard a loud explosion and saw flames erupting from the room. When they rushed inside to rescue him, they found his charred body on the floor. Authorities believe Sharma sparked the blast by igniting gas he had released from a cooking gas cylinder in the apartment. Police soon recovered the blood-stained knife and sent the bodies for autopsies, OneIndia reported. New life: Willinger, pictured with a friend, said she wanted to stay in Agra 'as long as her body permits' The union home ministry and the American embassy in New Delhi have been informed. A State Department official confirmed Willinger's death. 'We offer our condolences to her family and loved ones on their loss,' the official told MailOnline. 'We are in contact with her family and are providing all appropriate consular assistance. Out of respect for the privacy of those affected, we decline further comment.' Before her death, Willinger had revealed that she was deeply in love with Indian culture and wanted to improve civic conditions in Agra. On the day she was killed, she . addressed a press conference to promote her campaign 'Agra Sunder Hai', . and several local NGOs pledged support to her. She hoped to help Agra with improving its water, plastic waste and garbage disposal. Her father told ABC that her humanitarian efforts were only just recently starting to gain momentum. 'I think the tragedy to me -- besides the personal one -- is that things were just really getting started. 'She started to see things were happening,' he added. 'She thought she was safe because she had friends in the community.' Scene: An image is believed to show Sharma's tax cab, in which he stabbed his wife before dumping her body . Investigation: Police swarm the scene where Sharma killed himself. They also recovered the murder weapon . Last . September, she spoke with the Indo-Asian News Service under the name Erin White. She revealed her desire . to stay and help the city, although she had only planned to visit to . help feed leprosy sufferers near the Taj Mahal, and even spoke of wanting to stay in Agra until '60 or maybe more - as long as the body permits'. 'This city needs a push,' she said. 'The city is dirty and no one wants to stay back here for a night. You have to teach people to be conscious of hygiene, health and sensibilities of others. You have to build trust and reach out.' She spoke of taking money from the rich to give resources to the poor, and said she hoped to get actors and other celebrities on board to help make programs more attractive. And she was confident that her idea was going to be a success. 'I am talking with so many [students, businessmen and professionals] and they all agree that the time for change has indeed come,' she said. 'You need role models. A democratic society needs inspiring heroes to move ahead. You need success stories to diffuse the clouds of negativity all around.' She sadly never got to fulfill that mission. Location: Willinger was killed in a quiet street in Agra, which is 120 miles south of New Delhi .
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Erin Willinger, a yoga teacher from New York, met Bunty Sharma when she visited Agra, India in July - they married in October .
They were living separately no later than December after he admitted to previously killing a friend, her father says .
He also refuted local reports saying they split over infidelity or lies, and that his daughter never intended to reconcile their differences .
On Thursday, he stabbed her and dumped her body before returning to their home and blowing himself up, according to Indian reports .
Last year, she told a news agency how she wanted to help the city be worthy of 'such a beautiful place as the Taj Mahal'
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By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 04:14 EST, 20 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:38 EST, 20 May 2013 . Two men have been arrested in the killing of a teenage boy over an iPad in Las Vegas, police said Sunday. Jacob Dismont, 18, and Michael Solid, 21, were booked Saturday into the Clark County jail on charges of open murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. According to investigators, Marcos Arenas, 15, was walking down a street with the iPad on Thursday when a passenger got out of a vehicle and tried to steal the device from him. Jacob Dismont (left), 18, and 21-year-old Michael Solid (right) were booked on charges of open murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery for the killing of a teenage boy over an iPad in Las Vegas . Dismont is accused of trying to wrest . the tablet away and dragging Arenas toward the SUV when the youth . wouldn't let go of the device. After Dismont re-entered the vehicle and Solid sped away, the teen was dragged until he fell. The vehicle ran over Arenas and he died at a hospital. 'I think both the public and police department share the same sentiment that this was a senseless act of violence,' police spokesman Bill Cassell said. The suspects succeeded in making off with the device, officers said, but it was not immediately recovered. Thefts of iPods, iPads and iPhones have become so common the crime has its own name - 'Apple picking'. Picture posed by model . Ivan Arenas said he bought the iPad for his son less than two months ago. The family has never had a lot, the father said, and his son valued everything he had. 'For him to lose his life over an iPad, it's just not fair,' Ivan Arenas told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. 'Never in my life would I imagine that me buying my kid an iPad for his birthday would end up with him getting run over.' Similar thefts of iPads, IPhones and other Apple devices have become so widespread nationwide that the crime has earned the nickname 'Apple picking', Cassell said. 'This is a nationwide phenomenon where thieves are targeting individuals who are carrying them,' he added. Police urge victims of such crimes to always let go of the devices. According to investigators, Solid has an arrest record of possession of a stolen vehicle, petty larceny, robbery and assault. Dismont does not have any prior adult arrests. Arenas family spokeswoman Tabitha Guertler said family members are relieved by the arrests and grateful for the quick response by police and the public. She said: 'We're traumatised. Marcos' loss is something that will be with us forever. He was such an incredible person.' The oldest of 10 children in the family, the teen was a student at Bonanza High School. The attack occurred in the late afternoon about half a mile from the school. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
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Marcos Arenas was killed when he fell under SUV .
Detectives say he was hanging onto his iPad during robbery .
Jacob Dismont, 18, and Michael Solid, 21, face murder charge .
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A picturesque lifestyle property with 270 degree views of the breathtaking Kangaroo Valley, south-west of New South Wales, is available for purchase. 'Burrawang' is perfect for those looking for a peaceful get-away property with an abundance of privacy. Surrounded by a spectacular river and valley, the 73-hectare property is located in a national trust area and one of only seven fully enclosed valleys in the world. Scroll down for video . A picturesque lifestyle property with 270 degree views of the breathtaking Kangaroo Valley, south-west of New South Wales, is available for purchase . 'Burrawang' is perfect for those looking for a peaceful get-away property with an abundance of privacy . 'I think the beauty of it is that, as well as being such a high-quality home with those stunning 270-degree views, it has so much land but it's all so low-maintenance,' said Richard Cooper agent at Sotheby's International Realty. Offering privacy like no other, the 1970 retreat provides a unique Australian experience just two-hours out of Sydney, 10 minutes to Kangaroo Valley's village, 30 minutes to Berry and 40 minutes to Bowral. Burrawang's majestic setting features a private driveway that leads you through your own national park with rocky outcrops and tall cycads, until you reach your north-facing sandstone property. Burrawang features a club size tennis court and pavilion . Surrounded by a spectacular river and valley, the 73-hectare property is located in a national trust area and one of only seven fully enclosed valleys in the world . The 3-bedroom home boasts a butler's pantry, cinema/games room, wine cellar, a large office and a fully equipped contemporary kitchen. The large open living and dining area with exceptional gardens are perfect for entertaining. A guest house is also located on the property, providing 4-bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms and a combined living and dining room. Adding to it's perfect lifestyle retreat, Burrawang also features a club size tennis court and pavilion, swimming pool, private river access for kayaking and fishing, bush walking paths and landscaped gardens and lawns. 'It has an acre of garden around the house, and land by the river you could throw a few head of cattle on if you wanted, or you could just leave the land to look after itself. It's the perfect lifestyle property; the best of both worlds,' Mr Cooper said. Burrawang is available for inspection though agent Richard Cooper from Sotheby's International Realty. A spectacular lap pool is located within the property's exceptional gardens . The three-bedroom property is the perfect home for families looking for a peaceful get-away . Offering privacy like no other, the 1970 retreat provides a unique Australian experience just two-hours out of Sydney . Burrawang features a large office . The 3-bedroom home boasts a butler's pantry, cinema/games room, wine cellar, a large office and a fully equipped contemporary kitchen. The large open living and dining area with exceptional gardens are perfect for entertaining . An open-spaced fully equipped contemporary kitchen is perfect for those who love to cook . A guest house is also located on the property, proving 4-bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms and a combined living and dining room . Burrawang's majestic setting features a private driveway that leads your through your own national park with rocky outcrops and tall cycads, until you reach your north-facing sandstone property . Burrawang is available for inspection though agent Richard Cooper from Sotheby's International Realty .
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Burrawang in Kangaroo Valley, south-west of New South Wales is available for purchase .
The 73-hectare property is the perfect spot for a peaceful get-away .
Only two-hours out of Sydney, the breathtaking property places your within your own national trust area, surrounded by a river and valley .
Burrawang is available for inspection though agent Richard Cooper from Sotheby's International Realty .
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A bipartisan group of women senators waded into the ongoing drama over the NFL, Ray Rice and domestic violence. They sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell calling on the football league to institute a "real zero-tolerance policy" in such cases. The 16 signatories wrote that they were "shocked and disgusted" by the in-elevator video that surfaced of Ray Rice punching his then-fianceé in an elevator, and they pointed to the allegation that the NFL had possession of the video, which became public Monday, when it handed down its original lenient two-game suspension. "The NFL's current policy sends a terrible message to players, fans and all Americans that even after committing a horrific act of violence, you can quickly be back on the field," the senators wrote. The NFL recently changed its domestic violence punishment to a minimum suspension of six games for a first offense and a lifetime time ban for a second offense. "If you violently assault a woman, you shouldn't get a second chance to play football in the NFL," the senators wrote. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, recently told CNN that he would not "rule out" congressional action to force the NFL's hand on domestic abuse. Key events in the Ray Rice episode . Ex-FBI director to investigate Ray Rice case .
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16 female senators send letter to NFL commissioner .
They demand the NFL not give domestic abusers a second chance .
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In a season in which many big-name signings failed at Tottenham last season, one at last stood out as a player of the highest quality. Christian Eriksen turned up late in the Spurs spending spree last summer, arriving on August 31st from Ajax, one of seven transfers designed to fill the considerable hole left by Gareth Bale’s departure from the team. He ended up proving something more than an afterthought, however, being the player who most consistently delivered over the course of the season, despite a change of managers and playing philosophy mid-season from Andre Villas-Boas to Tim Sherwood, and his free kicks are now an established major part of Tottenham’s weaponry. Pass notes: Christian Eriksen (R) claims that Tottenham are playing like Ajax under Mauricio Pochettino . Philosophy: Mauricio Pochettino wants Spurs to play a high intensity passing and pressing game . ‘I think I was a bit impressed that I could keep up that level,' said Eriksen. ’I had so many games. At Ajax, there were a lot of games but you were in and out of them. Here it’s a harder competition and it got harder and harder, so I think I impressed myself.’ It wasn’t the easiest season in which to settle. ‘We had some pretty dark days,’ he says, referring to the 6-0 and 5-1 defeats against Manchester City, the 5-0 defeat to Liverpool. Now of course he has yet another manager to impress, his third in 11 months at Spurs, in Mauricio Pochettino. All the early signs are good. Eriksen looks to be carrying on from where he left off last season, with Pochettino’s insistence on passing football seemingly more to Eriksen’s taste than the direct style of Sherwood. In fact the Argentine manager seems closer to the Ajax philosophy that Eriksen imbibed as a youth in Amsterdam, where he trained under Dennis Bergkamp. Scroll down for videos... MVP: Christian Eriksen was one of the few new signings to shine at White Hart Lane last season . Changing guard: Christian Eriksen has played under three managers at Tottenham (L-R) Mauricio Pochettino, Tim Sherwood and Andre Villas-Boas . ‘It’s leaning towards Ajax way, yeah,’ said Eriksen. ‘I think a lot of the ideas are a bit similar: that he wants to play football; if you can turn, you turn; if you can play forward, you play forward. And again it’s a bit about ball possession and structure and where you need to run.’ There is one downside to the Pochettino way: the constant pressing he insists upon requires a level of intensity in pre-season training that few of the Tottenham players have previously experienced. ‘It’s been a hard pre-season,’ admitted Eriksen. ‘We’ve been getting closer to where we want to be when the season starts. It is pretty hard. The first few weeks there were times when we went to bed pretty early. ‘Now of course you try to get used to it. There have been double sessions two times a week when we were training at 10 o' clock and then again at 4, so it’s a long day. Mentally as well it’s pretty hard but it’s fun to play football, so it’s alright.’ Dutch of class: The Denmark international believes the manager has got them playing like former club Ajax . Mentors: The Tottenham playmaker was schooled by Holland legends Dennis Bergkamp and Frank de Boer (L) Famously Pochettino had Southampton players walking over hot coals in pre-season last year, though it seems Spurs’ players have been spared that for now. ‘We haven’t done that,’ says Eriksen, a little alarmed at the suggestion. ‘Only at Southampton are they walking on fire!’ Neverthless, Eriksen, like everyone in football, was taken with Pochettino’s Southampton last season. ‘I think I was impressed like everyone else. When we played against them they wanted to play football and for me personally that’s a good thing, that you want to keep the ball and create something.’ As for those Eriksen specials, the free kicks in which he now has a reputation, there has been less time to practice at present, given the intensity of the training. ‘I do spend a lot of time on them but I haven’t done it this much in the pre-season. On target: The 22-year-old scored seven league goals for Tottenham last season . 'We are training really hard so you don’t want to load your legs too much, too early. But last year it was pretty much every day doing shooting and that is probably going to happen again this season. ‘I prefer to practice with a keeper. It’s funny to beat the keeper.’ Hugo Llloris is spared that indignity, however; a reserve team keeper usually comes out to help Eriksen. It’s a skill he developed as a youngster at Ajax, where Bergkamp was his youth team coach, although for this area of the game he had to seek help from elsewhere. ‘I’ve never really seen him (Bergkamp) shoot a free-kick. Thierry Henry used to take them at Arsenal. So he didn’t teach me anything about free-kicks, no. I learnt some from Frank de Boer. He loved to take free-kicks as well. He tried to help me sometimes.’ We're ready! Tottenham will hope to hit the ground running after a decent pre-season campaign . Hammered time? Tottenham play West Ham in their opening game after losing to them three times last season . New season: Lionel Messi stars in FIFA 15 . On Saturday against West Ham we will get an idea as to whether the Pochettino era has begun to make some substantial differences to Tottenham. They lost three times to West Ham last season, thrashed 3-0 at home, losing in the Capital One Cup and then going down at Upton Park at the end of the season after Younes Kaboul was sent off early on. ‘I don’t know why we played badly against them,’ said Eriksen, speaking at the launch of EA Sports new Premier League deal. ‘We still had chances but we didn’ t score and they did. Of course we were a bit unlucky with the red card and everything. Hopefully, if we keep ourselves in the game, we’ll have a better chance than we had last year. Of course, they play different from what we want to do, but we will have to show we can do better than last year.’ Indeed, and if Pochettino pre-season training is anything to go by, they should at least come out of the blocks flying. CLICK HERE to start picking your Fantasy Football team NOW! There’s £60,000 in prizes including £1,000 up for grabs EVERY WEEK… . Eriksen was speaking at the extension of EA SPORTS’ partnership with the Premier League. The deal allows FIFA 15 to replicate players with more realism. EA SPORTS . FIFA 15 is available to pre-order at www.easports.com/uk/fifa/buy . Video games: Christian Eriksen comes face to face with his likeness during the launch of FIFA15 .
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Tottenham are playing like Ajax under Pochettino, says Eriksen .
The 22-year-old was one of the few new signings to shine last season .
Eriksen has played under three managers at White Hart Lane - Andre Villas-Boas, Tim Sherwood and Pochettino .
Denmark international was previous schooled by Dennis Bergkamp and Frank De Boer at the Dutch club .
Tottenham play West Ham in their opening Premier League game .
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By . Paul Milligan . PUBLISHED: . 10:57 EST, 18 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:03 EST, 18 June 2013 . Senior members of the German government have warned EU member states that German car makers could scale back or scrap production plans in their countries unless they support weakened carbon emissions rules, according to diplomatic sources. With EU governments and lawmakers aiming to finalise the rules next week, which most of the 27 member states back, Germany has stepped up the pressure on them to water down limits on vehicle emissions to protect the country's mighty car industry, particularly luxury makers such as BMW and Daimler. The sources added that some calls warning EU member states of possible consequences have come from members of Chancellor Angela Merkel's office. German automakers like BMW (pictured here) could scale back production plans in the UK, France and Italy unless they support weakened carbon emissions rules . One EU diplomat said Berlin had reminded Lisbon of Portugal's 78 billion euro ($100 billion) euro zone bailout, which was heavily financed by Germany, in its bid to convince the country to drop its opposition to softer limits. 'They have tried everything at the highest level to pressure member states, in particular countries in the bailout club, to support their proposals," said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. 'Germany seems hell-bent on pressing its interests. Even countries that are generally pro-German feel that they are going too far.' A German government source denied that Berlin had put particular pressure on countries that have received EU financial aid, and said its aim was to protect jobs in the EU auto sector. Most EU governments are backing the current legislation on car emissions, putting the Germans at odds with other countries in Europe . 'Our strategy is to focus on France, Britain and Italy as the big car producing countries, and on the countries which have important supply industries,' the source said. They should all be together in this fight. We should not drive jobs out of Europe at a moment of high unemployment.' Germany's position is backed by a handful of central European countries with domestic auto production, but France, Britain and Italy are opposed, EU sources say. The proposal from the European Commission, the EU's executive, would set a goal of 95 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre (g/km) as an average for all new vehicles sold in Europe from 2020. Each manufacturer is assigned an individual target to take account of the nature of their fleet and their record of past cuts. But making less-polluting cars is costly and restricts profit margins, which is why major German manufacturers want to delay the stricter rules. Germany wants the emissions targets reduced to protect luxury makers such as BMW and Daimler . The legal changes demanded by Berlin would allow luxury makers to continue selling more powerful - and profitable - models in Europe after 2020, when the new EU emission limits will take effect. Under the plan, car makers would be allowed to carry over credits to pollute that were accrued before the new rules kick in. Known as supercredits, these permits are earned if manufacturers make some very low emissions vehicles, such as electric cars, which German firms are making to meet a separate national target. The problem is that if they manage to hold on to a glut of supercredits, they can carry on making higher emissions models, and emissions levels will fail to meet the 2020 95 g/km target. Germany and its carmakers say the flexibility they want is essential for spurring innovation, but critics say the changes amount to major loopholes in the rules. An EU source said the German proposal would delay achievement of the 95 g/km target until 2023 for those carmakers who made use of the accrued credits. The United States has agreed fuel efficiency standards, though they lag Europe, while China, where smog has stirred social unrest, is increasingly aware of the implications of vehicle emissions for air pollution. In 2008, after dire predictions of factory closures and mass job losses, the European Union agreed a limit of 130 g/km to be phased in between 2012 and 2015.
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Germany's luxury carmakers struggling to meet targets .
Berlin pressuring member states to weaken rules .
Most EU governments back the current legislation .
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By . Katy Winter . Over the last few years we've seen increasingly weird and innovative new uses being found for breast milk: women are selling their breast milk online; there's cheese churned from breast milk on sale - and even 'Baby Gaga' ice-cream made from expressed milk, created by gourmet company the Icecreamists. And now there's soap. The bars - fashioned into rabbits, . teddies and tortoises - are being sold online in China on e-commerce . website Taobao by an anonymous mother. The new mother in question came up with the concept when her son refused to breast feed, . and, wanting him to still have some of the benefits, decided to mould . the expelled milk into soap to rub on his skin. The unnamed mother has shaped her breast milk soap into cute animal shapes to sell on the Taobao website . While there is no medical benefit in rubbing the skin with breast milk, the unnamed mother found her soaps were popular with family and friends and decided to sell them online. People have attempted to harness the benefits a mother's milk gives to her baby . This entrepreneurial move was so . successful it has apparently prompted other mothers to follow suit, with . one claiming to have sold over 300 bars on Taobao. However, . there has been a backlash from Chinese doctors against the growing fad, . with Want China Times even claiming in their report that the soap could . spread diseases if it came from a mother in poor health. But this is not the first time people have attempted to harness the benefits a mother's milk gives to her baby. Human breast milk has become a new luxury item for China's super-rich in recent years with firms even offering wet nurse services . China's super-rich are paying thousands of dollars a month for human breast milk, with some adults even choosing to be wet nursed. The bizarre trend has seen a rise in adults buying breast milk and drinking it either straight from the breast or after it has been expressed. According to the Southern Metropolis Daily, domestic staff agencies are offering wet nurses for newborns, sick people or anyone who will pay up to 16,000 yuan (£2,600) a month. Customers say they want the concentrated nutrition breast milk provides. It has a unique combination of antibodies, living cells, enzymes, hormones and fatty acids that has led some people to treat it as the latest superfood. 'Adult (clients) can drink it . directly through breastfeeding, or they can always drink it from a . breast pump if they feel embarrassed', Lin Jun, owner of company . Xinxinyu that offers the service, was quoted as saying by AFP. Critics say the practice turns a mother's milk into a commodity and cheapens the bond between mother and child. The Baby Gaga dessert (pictured) made from human breast milk and served with a rusk . In 2011, London outlet The Icreamists hit headlines around the world with their Baby Gaga ice-cream made from breast milk and served with a rusk. Other countries take the supposed health benefits of breast milk very seriously. Cancer patients, or those with digestive disorders or immune problems, can obtain breast milk on prescription in the U.S. Breast Milk Cheese by Daniel Angerer . Breast Milk Cheese . In a move that has delighted some and disgusted others, in 2010 chef Daniel Angerer made cheese out of his wife's breast milk. He claimed hte idea came to him after his wife gave birth and she began freezing her excess milk. The chef began to experiment in using it to make cheese; aging it for a fortnight before testing it - and was amazed at its sweet taste. Daniel even put the unusual cheese on sale at the chef’s Klee Brasserie in New York where it could be enjoyed in dishes such as maple caramelized pumpkin seed encrusted cheese with concord grapes. Breast Milk Jewellery . Mommy Milk Creations is selling pendants made from mothers' breast milk on Etsy.com, and they are proving a huge hit. So far founder Allicia Mogavero has sold over 250 items. Allicia turns hardened breast milk into hearts, moons, flowers, stars and even tiny hands, and then adds sparkly gems to the finished product. Costs range from between $69 to over $100 per piece (around £44 to £65). A necklace with a charm made of breast milk by jewelry designer Allicia Mogavero . Breast Milk Ice-cream . In 2011, London outlet The Icreamists . hit headlines around the world with their Baby Gaga ice-cream made from . breast milk and served with a rusk. Lactating mothers were recruited via an advert for suppliers on the Mumsnet forum and donated the milk for the sweet desert. Each donor was given £15 for every ten ounces of milk extracted by pumps.
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Soap made from breast milk growing trend online in China .
Started by unnamed mother whose son refused to breastfeed .
Now several selling the unusual soap, despite no medical benefits .
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(CNN) -- The death toll from a shooting at a Nevada IHOP restaurant has risen to four, officials said early Wednesday morning. A gunman carrying a variant of an AK-47 rifle opened fire on uniformed Nevada National Guard members as they were having breakfast at the Carson City restaurant Tuesday morning. In all, 11 people were shot. Of them, one civilian was killed as were two National Guard members. Another National Guard member, who was taken to a hospital and underwent surgery, later died -- bringing the toll to four, said Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong. The attacker also died of a self-inflicted wound after the shooting. The suspected gunman was identified as Eduardo Sencion, 32, who lived in Carson City and worked at a family business in South Lake Tahoe, California, authorities said. Authorities said they had not determined a clear motive. "To say that he was targeting before he came into the restaurant those military persons, we have not been able to establish," Furlong said. "Clearly, the fact that five of the 11 were military draws a concern by us." Sencion had no previous criminal record on file but his family indicated he may have had mental health issues, Furlong told reporters. The shooting began shortly before 9 a.m. When authorities arrived, those who called in the incident identified the shooting suspect as a man lying wounded in the parking lot between two vehicles. The suspect had continued firing in the parking lot after leaving the restaurant, Furlong said. The AK-47 was recovered as well as an empty 30-round gun magazine and two other gun magazines. A pistol and assault rifle were found in or near a vehicle, the sheriff said. Steven Martin, a witness, told CNN Reno affiliate KRNV that he ran to see if he could help after he heard the shots. "There was blood everywhere; broken glass everywhere. It was just a war zone down there," he said. The shooting took place just a few miles from the Nevada National Guard state headquarters in Carson City.
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In all, 11 people are shot .
Of them, three National Guard members and a civilian are killed .
Witness: "It was just a war zone down there"
The suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities say .
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By . Louise Boyle . PUBLISHED: . 18:19 EST, 15 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:19 EST, 15 May 2013 . Two mothers have been charged with cruelty after leaving their children at a beach bar to go on a Mother's Day booze cruise, police said. Billie Jean Williams, 27, and 28-year-old Mary Joyce Daffron were arrested after their children, aged eight and six respectively, went up to staff at Gator Joe’s Bar and Grill in Ocklawaha, Florida and said that their mothers had gone. The mothers allegedly left their children in the care of a man they had just met while they went on a booze cruise on Lake Weir on Sunday. Boozy: Billie Jean Williams, 27, (left) and 28-year-old Mary Joyce Daffron (right) were charged with child cruelty after leaving their young children with a stranger to go drinking on a boat in Florida . The man, named only as John, told police that he knew one of the women from high school, according to a report from Marion County Sheriff’s Office. He said that Williams and Daffron had both taken off for the booze cruise an hour earlier. The mothers' belongings were lying on the beach close to where they left their children playing. As the booze cruise returned to shore, the two highly intoxicated women fell into the water as they tried to disembark, according to ocala.com. Left behind: The two young children wandered into Gator Joe's beach bar in Ocklawaha, Florida to tell staff they could not find their mothers . Williams screamed at her eight-year-old . for having the police called and claimed that the young children had . been left in the care of a 'godfather' - despite the fact neither women . knew his last name. Both women were arrested on Sunday and the two children handed over to relatives. Williams and Daffron have been charged with cruelty toward child-abuse child without great bodily harm. Daffron faced an extra charge of resisting arrest without violence. Bail was set at $5,000 for Williams and she was released after posting bond. Daffron remained locked up on Monday after bail was set at $5,500. Neglect: Both Williams and Daffron were said to have been highly intoxicated at the time of their arrest on Mother's Day .
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Billie Jean Williams, 27, and 28-year-old Mary Joyce Daffron charged with neglect in Florida .
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Manchester United are looking at Belgian brothers Indy and Seppe Boonen. Indy, 15, is a left-back who left Genk last year and has already had trials at United. He is training with United's youth sides at the moment while his younger brother 13-year-old Seppe is a promising goalkeeper. They are hoping to sign a professional contract with United when they turn 16. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Wesley Sneijder and United's Daley Blind score for Holland . Louis van Gaal is considering signing young Belgian defenders Indy and Seppe Boonen . United have held off competition from neighbours Manchester City to sign Portuguese winger Venancio da Silva Monteiro. The 15-year-old left Benfica in April to train with United in the hope of winning a deal but his performances had attracted interest from City who were also keen to sign him. Holland international Wesley Sneijder has indicated that he wants to leave Turkish side Galatasaray . Meanwhile, Louis van Gaal's side has been put on alert after learning of Wesley Sneijder's desire to leave Galatasaray. It is understood Turkish club will demand in the region of £9million for the Hollland international. And his advisers have begun the process of trying to identify a buyer for the former Inter Milan star. United and Southampton - who both have Dutch managers - are among the sides to have been contacted about the possibility of taking Sneijder next month. VIDEO 6 wins in a row, my wife is happy - Van Gaal .
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Brothers Indy and Seppe Boonen are being looked at by Man United .
United have beaten City to Benfica winger Venancio da Silva Monteiro .
Wesley Sneijder could be available for £9m if he leaves Galatasaray .
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By . Lydia Warren . and Daily Mail Reporter . The . teenager who moved out of her parents' home and then sued them for child . support after they ordered her to stop seeing her boyfriend appeared in court Wednesday after an incident on Sunday that prompted the couple to seek mutual restraining orders against each other. Rachel Canning,18, from Lincoln Park, New Jersey, accused boyfriend Lucas Kitzmiller of choking her during a fight early Sunday morning. Canning claims Kitzmiller assaulted her in the street before she jumped in her car and drove to a nearby police station to report the alleged assault. Scroll down for video . Troubled: Rachel Canning, pictured in court in March, has been granted a temporary restraining order against her boyfriend - the same man her parents had been trying to get her to stop seeing . In court . Wednesday, Kitzmiller asked to have the hearing postponed because his . attorney, Steven Caputo, is out of town, NJ.com reports. Canning told the court she was 'ready to proceed' as she appeared without an attorney, but accompanied by her parents. Morristown . Superior Court Judge James DeMarzo agreed to postpone the hearing until . August 6, when Caputo is expected to return to New Jersey. In . addition to postponing the hearing, DeMarzo advised both parties to . 'not publicize the case,' and to 'keep your business to yourself.' The judge specifically told the couple it would be ill-advised to discuss the case on social media outlets. 'This . is a private matter,' Sean Canning, Rachel Canning's father, told the . publication. 'We’re confident the court will handle it appropriately. We . want to let everything die down and go back to our private lives.' 'Attack': Lucas Kitzmiller, left, allegedly choked Canning in the street in the early hours of Sunday . Party: Canning, pictured right with friends ahead of prom, graduated high school and starts college in the fall . She claimed her parents threw . her out when she turned 18. But they claimed she voluntarily left their . Lincoln Park home because she didn't want to abide by their . household rules. She moved in with attorney John Inglesino, and in February . his family filed the suit on her behalf. Though Canning went to court hoping to shame her parents into paying her child support, she was the one who took the brunt of criticism - both from her parent's lawyers and the judge himself. 'Have you ever in your experience seen such gross disrespect for a parent? I don’t see it in my house,' Family Division Judge Peter Bogaard said at a hearing. Distraught: Her parents Elizabeth and Sean Canning, pictured in court in March, eventually reconciled with their daughter and she moved back into their New Jersey home but continued to see her boyfriend . She eventually reconciled with the parents in March, withdrew the lawsuit and moved back in to their home, where they reported that family life was peaceful. Her parents told USA Today that they decided not to interfere with their daughter's love life anymore. Canning graduated from Morris Catholic High School this spring and will be attending Western New England University as a biomedical engineering major in the fall on a $56,000 scholarship.
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Lucas Kitzmiller, 18, 'attacked Rachel Canning, 18, in the street on Sunday before she jumped in her car and went to the police'
The couple has secured temporary restraining orders against each other following the alleged incident .
Canning made headlines earlier this year when she sued her parents for child support and tuition after she moved out of their New Jersey home .
They had told her to stop seeing Kitzmiller but she'd refused .
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By . Sam Adams . PUBLISHED: . 11:46 EST, 1 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:52 EST, 1 February 2013 . A jet liner bound for Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing after the captain lost consciousness - forcing his co-pilot to guide it to safety. The Alaska Airlines pilot blacked out 'somewhere over Oregon' and had to be treated by a doctor on board the flight, which was carrying 121 people. The incident, yesterday, is the second time this year that an Alaska Airlines pilot has lost consciousness in the cockpit of one of the firm's aircraft. Emergency: The co-pilot of an Alaska Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing after the captain lost consciousness . Safe: The plane landed safely in Portland Oregon, where the pilot was taken to hospital by ambulance . On January 22, the co-pilot on an Alaska . Airlines flight from Seattle to Las Vegas fainted for a short period and required medical attention. The plane, which was carrying 146 passengers, landed safely at Las Vegas. The two incidents are not thought to be related, ABC News reports. A spokesman for the Alaska Airlines said that in yesterday's incident, the co-pilot declared an emergency in order to get . priority care for the captain after he passed out. The pilot, who regained consciousness, was tended to by a doctor on board before being taken to hospital once the plane had touched down at Portland International Airport. Transfer: Passengers on board the flight were reportedly transferred to other planes in order to complete their journey . Schedule: The flight had been due to land in Seattle at 9.30pm before being diverted to Portland (above) He has not been named but is reported to have worked for the airline for nearly 30 years. The co-pilot who landed the plane is understood to have worked for the airline for 11 years. The Boeing 737-700 aircraft was . carrying 116 passengers and five crew when it left Los Angeles at about . 6:30 pm headed northwards for Seattle where it was due to land at 9.30pm. It eventually landed in Portland two and a half hours . later following the captain's black out. A number of passengers were swapped . onto other flights to Seattle, while the rest took a flight scheduled to . land in the city at 1:15 am on Friday, according to NBC News. All of the airline's pilots are trained to fly single-handedly, ABC reports.
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Plane makes emergency landing in Oregon after pilot loses consciousness .
He is treated by doctor on board while co-pilot lands the jet safely .
Second time an Alaska Airlines pilot has fainted in the cockpit this year .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 04:33 EST, 27 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:39 EST, 27 February 2014 . Concerns have been raised over Adam Muema after he left a training session at an NFL Scouting Combine because God told him to . Concerns have been raised over a former San Diego state running back who left a training session at an NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday because God told him to. Adam Muema has reportedly not been in touch with his San Diego State coaches since he left the session and did not show up to a training camp, scheduled for after the combine. Muema, the fourth leading rusher in Aztecs history, missed the combine training session, which saw other running backs compete in drills at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, because he said the Lord told him he'd play for the Seattle Seahawks if he took it easy. He said it was his 'dream' to play for the Super Bowl-winning team. But he then failed to turn to an offseason 'training base' in Florida, according to U-T San Diego. A person who is close to the player told the site: 'I have no idea where he is. (San Diego State coaches) have been trying to track him down.' While he is not believed to have shown up to training, CBSSports.com has reported he did get on a flight to Florida after leaving the combine. A video producer for the site reportedly saw the player on a flight from Indianapolis to Ft Lauderdale on Monday. Meanwhile, a tweet posted by a Twitter account apparently set up by the player appeared on Monday which read: 'Yes, you guys are right I am crazy, crazy in love with Jesus it is the sweetest name I know.' He had not been in touch with his agent or visited the Florida training base by yesterday, CBSSports.com has reported. Muema apparently tweeted this message after leaving the combine on Sunday . Dream: The fourth leading rusher in Aztecs history, pictured in December's Idaho Potato Bowl, said it was his 'dream' to play for the Seahawks . According to the U-T San Diego however, Muema did suggest on Sunday he would be keeping a low profile for the foreseeable future. Lou Farrar, his former coach at Charter Oak High, said: 'At this point, we just hope he's safe.' Muema explained his curious decision to skip the session in the combine on Sunday in a phone interview from the Indianapolis International Airport as he was returning to the city where he trained for the combine. He will have another chance to impress NFL teams at San Diego State's pro day next month. '(God) told me to sit down, be quiet, and enjoy the peace,' he said of his current plan, adding that he communicates with God through numbers. Muema regularly shares his religious beliefs and quotes the Bible on social media. Muema explained his curious decision to skip the session in the combine on Sunday in a phone interview from the Indianapolis International Airport . In 2013, the running back rushed 256 times for 1,244 yards and 15 touchdowns, U-T San Diego.com reports. He declared for the draft last month as an early-entry junior and the NFL Draft Advisory Board initially predicted him to be a fourth to seventh-round pick, a source told the news website. Other players, including Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, also decided not to throw on Sunday.
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Adam Muema sat out session on Sunday because God told him to .
He was due at an offseason 'training base' in Florida but did not turn up .
He reportedly did get on flight to Florida but coaches could not contact him .
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Despite a miserable year on the pitch Manchester United have rocketed into second place on a list of the world's richest football teams with a revenue of £423.8million. So what will they spend the money on? Firstly, it is worth noting that United may not fare as well on next year's Deloitte Football Money League thanks to missing out on Champions League football. Manchester United brought in more revenue for 2013-14 than any other club in the Premier League . Louis van Gaal's side have moved up to second on the list despite not being in the Champions League . The club itself forecasts a drop from £423.8m to between £385m and £395m. But with the first instalment from their world-record £750m kit deal with adidas due in the summer and their trailblazing commercial operation showing no signs of slowing, experts say they could overtake Real Madrid within two years. One could be forgiven for imagining that a chunk of the cash could go on wiping out the debt that still remains from the Glazer family's controversial 2005 takeover. At the last count that stood at £362.2m, which was actually a rise of £1.2m on the same period in the previous year. A major plan for United is to return to the glory days of the Champions League, like their win in 2008-09 . Real Madrid were top of the tree in world football for revenue in the 2013-14 season, with £459.5million . 1. Real Madrid - £459.5m . 2. Manchester United - £433.2m . 3. Bayern Munich - £407.7m . 4. Barcelona - £405.2m . 5. Paris Saint-Germain - £396.5m . 6. Manchester City - £346.5m . 7. Chelsea - £324.4m . 8. Arsenal - £300.5m . 9. Liverpool - £255.8m . 10. Juventus - £233.6m . 11. Borussia Dortmund - £218.7m . 12. AC Milan - £208.8m . 13. Tottenham - £180.5m . 14. Schalke 04 - £178.9m . 15. Atletico Madrid - £142.1m . 16. Napoli £137.8m . 17. Inter Milan - £137.1m . 18. Galatasaray - £135.4m . 19. Newcastle United - £129.7m . 20. Everton £120.5m . 21. West Ham United - £105.3m . 22. Aston Villa - £101.9m . 23. Marseille - £100m . 24. Roma - £97.7m . 25. Southampton - £97.3 . 26. Benfica - £96.6 . 27. Sunderland - £95.7m . 28. Hamburg - £92.2m . 29. Swansea City - £90.5m . 30. Stoke City - £90.1m . That indicates that the US-based bean counters are not looking to pay it off any time soon. And while Sportsmail understands that United's ownership are at ease with the situation the fact that money spent on servicing the debt is tax deductable is notable. As for new players, not too much attention should be paid to a relatively quiet (so far) January transfer window. Manager Louis van Gaal recently said that the lack of activity was due to the traditional problem that very few players who could improve an elite side are available at the turn of the year. In a call to investors when the club's latest financial figures were released in November, Ed Woodward struck a similar chord. Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman is high on Manchester United's list of summer targets . Nathaniel Clyne (left) has caught United's attention with his progress while Mats Hummels remains a target . However, the executive vice-chairman did point to the summer and say the club were already monitoring targets. With a number of players set to depart it would not be a surprise if the Dutch boss was handed a similar amount to last summer, when £156m was spent on the likes of Angel di Maria, Radamel Falcao and Daley Blind. Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman, Southampton full back Nathaniel Clyne and Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels are all thought to be on the radar. United broke the British transfer record to sign Angel di Maria from Real Madrid during the summer . An audacious swoop for Barcelona star Lionel Messi has also been reported, but he is unlikely to leave . An unliklely £200m swoop for Lionel Messi has also been reported but the Argentine is unlikely to leave Barcelona - although a new striker could be on the cards should Falcao continue to frustrate. Further down the line, qualifying for next season's Champions League is essential with a new TV deal due later this year. United will also benefit from the auctioning of the next Premier League broadcast rights. Old Trafford officials are also known to be keen on turning the club's remarkable social media following into cash. If revenues continue to grow as expected, there is a chance that United will look at making Old Trafford bigger . Van Gaal (second left, pictured at QPR) is hoping to oversee a period of huge success for Manchester United . According to United, they attract 380,000 tweets a day and 12m social media posts each month and the club are known to be keen on stepping up its mobile operation. With regards to matchday revenues, a long-term aim has been to extend the existing South Stand which is dwarfed by the other three structures. This would be a complex, costly operation given the train line that runs behind it. However, if revenues continue to grow as expected do not rule out England's largest domestic football stadium getting even bigger.
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Manchester United could overtake Real Madrid in the next two years .
United had a revenue of £423.8million last season, second behind Madrid .
Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman is on Louis van Gaal's transfer radar .
Southampton's Nathaniel Clyne and Mats Hummels are also United targets .
Qualifying for next season's Champions League remains a priority .
A chunk of the cash could go on wiping out the debt that still remains .
Click here for Manchester United transfer news .
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By . Lizzie Edmonds . PUBLISHED: . 05:31 EST, 12 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:22 EST, 12 October 2013 . Strong winds and heavy rains pounded India's eastern coastline today, as hundreds of thousands of people took shelter from a powerful cyclone that was expected to reach land in a matter of hours. Categorised as 'very severe' by weather forecasters, Cyclone Phailin is expected to hit Orissa and Andhra Pradesh states in the next few hours. The Meteorological Department predicted winds up to 136mph. Scroll down for video . Escape: Scores of evacuated villagers aboard a truck at a relief camp near Berhampur, India . Enormous: A satellite from the US Naval Research Laboratory shows Cyclone Phailin over the Bay of Bengal . Evacuation: Indian villagers in a small lorry attempt to reach cyclone shelter, village Podampeta, Ganjam district . Route: The cyclone has made its way from the sea and will continue well into the mainland, pictured . Downpour: Villagers try to cover themselves from heavy rainfall as they ride a pickup truck in Srikakulam district . Black skies above Bhubaneshwar, the capital of Orissa state - which is expected to bear the brunt of the cyclone - continued 60 miles out to sea this morning. Roaring winds made palm trees sway wildly, while to the south of the state seawater was already pushing inland. By Friday evening, some 600,000 people had been moved to higher ground or shelters in Orissa, said Surya Narayan Patro - the state's top disaster management official. About 12 hours before Cyclone Phailin's expected landfall, meteorologists held out hope that it might hit while in a temporary weakened state. Force: A villager braves strong winds and rain to walk to a shelter on higher ground . Leaving: An Indian couple in Podampeta village drive towards a shelter with their belongings . Refuge: Residents look out from a cyclone shelter surrounded by water in Badabandha village, Gopalpur . Scale: A satellite image provided by the Typhoon Warning Center shows Phailin on Friday evening . Drenched: Villagers hold umbrellas as they walk towards the safety of a cyclone shelter in Chatrapur . Chaos: Waves crash onto the shore in Visakhapatnam district in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh . However, recent satellite images showed the cyclone filling nearly the entire Bay of Bengal, an area larger than France. 'A . storm this large can't peter out that fast,' said Ryan Maue, a . meteorologist at Weather Bell, a private U.S. weather firm. 'There's . nothing to stop it at this point' he added. Maue said that even in the best-case . scenario there would be a storm surge - a giant wall of water that a . cyclone blasts ashore - of 20 to 30 feet. A storm surge causes a great deal of devastation in cyclones - usually even more than the strong winds. Effort: Indian rescue officials from the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services lift a search and rescue boat . The . storm has been powerful for nearly 36 hours and . those winds have built up tremendous amount of surge, Maue said. Officials canceled holy day celebrations and stockpiled emergency supplies in coastal Orissa and Andhra Pradesh states. The . Indian Meteorological Department warned that cyclone Phailin was . expected to hit with maximum sustained winds of 130 to 135 miles per hour. Approaching: Indian youth stand on the shore as high tidal waves hit the coastline today . Heavy rains: An Indian cycle rickshaw driver makes his way through rain in Berhampur city . Course: A Map of India locating the projected path of cyclone Phailin . However, the U.S. Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii forecast maximum sustained winds of 167 mph, with gusts up to 196 mph. Indian officials also made less dire predictions about the storm surge, saying only that it would be 10 feet high. In . Bhubaneshwar, government workers and volunteers were putting together . hundreds of thousands of food packages to be distributed at relief . camps. The state's top official, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, appealed for people to cooperate with officials as they order people to leave their homes. 'I request everyone to not panic. Please assist the government. Everyone from the village to the state headquarters have been put on alert,' he told reporters. In Paradip, the Orissa port city . hammered in a 1999 cyclone, at least seven ships were put to sea to ride . out the storm, with other boats shifted to safer parts of the harbor, . officials said. U.S. forecasters repeatedly warned that the storm would be immense. 'If it's not a record it's really, really close,' University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy said. 'You really don't get storms stronger than this anywhere in the world ever. This is the top of the barrel' To . compare it to killer U.S. storms, McNoldy said cyclone Phailin is . nearly the size of Hurricane Katrina, which killed 1,200 people in 2005 . and caused devastating flooding in New Orleans. Prepared: Villagers walk cattle through the streets during a heavy cyclonic wind in Ganja village, Gopalpur . Coastline: A man walks past high waves of the Bay of Bengal at Gopalpur beach in Ganjam district . He said it also has the wind power of 1992's Hurricane Andrew, which packed 165 mph winds at landfall in Miami. If the storm continues on its current . path without weakening, it is expected to cause large-scale power and . communications outages and shut down road and rail links, officials . said. There would also be extensive damage to crops. One . official said tens of thousands of more people will be moved to safer . areas before the cyclone hits. 'No one will be allowed to stay in mud . and thatched houses in the coastal areas,' he said. Refuge: Locals take shelter in a temporary cyclone shelter in Chatrapur, Ganjam district . The government also began evacuating 64,000 people from the low-lying areas of three vulnerable districts in neighboring Andhra Pradesh state, said state Revenue Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy. The sea had already pushed inland as much as 130 ft in parts of Andhra Pradesh. Officials have been stockpiling emergency food supplies, and setting up shelters for people expected to flee the heavy winds and rains. The Indian air force said four transport planes and 18 helicopters were being kept ready for relief operations in the region. The Bay of Bengal has been the scene of some of the deadliest storms in recent history. The 1999 Orissa cyclone, which was similar in strength to Phailin, killed 10,000 people. Aid: Scores of shelters providing food and accommodation, such as this on in Ganjam district, have been set up for those evacuated . Temporary: Evacuated Indian villagers eat food in a cyclone shelter in Chatrapur, Ganjam district .
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Orissa and Andhra Pradesh states expected to bear brunt of cyclone .
Dark skies that hung over coast this morning continued 60 miles out to sea .
Around 600,000 have been evacuated from the area, state officials say .
Satellite images show cyclone filling almost the entire Bay of Bengal area - an area the size of France .
Storm surge, a giant wall of water that a cyclone blasts ashore, of 7 to 9 meters predicted by one U.S. weather firm .
A deadly super-cyclone in 1999 killed more than 10,000 people in Orissa .
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By . Hugo Duncan . Last updated at 10:25 AM on 31st August 2011 . Britain’s debt levels are dangerously high and are damaging the economy, according to one of the world’s leading financial watchdogs. Debt in the UK grew faster than in any other major economy in the last decade to £180,000 per household. It means the country is in the danger zone following a ten-year borrowing binge under the last Labour government, a hard-hitting report from the Bank for International Settlements has revealed. Dangerously high debt: The British economy has flat-lined for the last nine months . Its chief economist, Steve Cecchetti, said: ‘Beyond a certain level, debt is bad for growth. At low levels, debt is good. It is a source of economic growth and stability. But at high levels, private and public debt is bad, increasing volatility and retarding growth.’ The BIS said government, corporate and household debt in Britain jumped from 223 per cent of gross domestic product in 2000, or £2.18trillion, to 322 per cent, or £4.68trillion, in 2010. That is the equivalent of £180,000 per household. The 99 percentage point increase was the biggest of any leading economy and left Britain deeper in the red than any country in the Group of Seven industrialised nations except Japan. The watchdog warned that debt levels in Britain ‘will explode’ unless it gets to grips with future spending on health and pensions as the population gets older. ‘The debt problems facing advanced economies are even worse than we thought,’ said Mr Cecchetti, who is based at the BIS headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. ‘As public debt rises and populations age, growth will fall. As growth falls, debt rises even more, reinforcing the downward impact on an already low growth rate. Hard-hitting: The report came from the Bank of International Settlements in Switzerland . ‘The only possible conclusion is that . those with high debt must act quickly and decisively to address their . looming fiscal positions. 'The longer they wait, the bigger the negative . impact will be on growth, and the harder it will be adjust.’ The Treasury welcomed the report – called The Real Effects of Debt – which was presented to central bankers and economists at the Jackson Hole summit in Wyoming last week. ‘This underlines the need for us to get a grip on our debt levels,’ said a spokesman. ‘Part of the reason the recovery is a challenging one is because all parts of the economy are having to adjust – and the numbers will continue to get bigger unless we get them under control.’ The watchdog said the danger limit for government debt is 80 to 100 per cent of a country’s GDP. The threshold for corporate debt is 90 per cent of GDP and for household debt it is 85 per cent, it said. Once these levels are reached, debt starts to hold back growth, the report found. In 2010, Britain had government debt of nearly 90 per cent of GDP, corporate debt of 126 per cent and household debt of 106 per cent. Of the G7 economies, only Britain and Canada were in the danger zone for all three types of debt. The British economy has flat-lined for the last nine months, growing by just 0.2 per cent in the second quarter of the year following six months of stagnation. The subdued recovery at home has been weakened further by a slowdown overseas, particularly in the U.S. and the eurozone, Britain’s two biggest trade partners.
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Debt in Britain grew faster than any other major economy .
The country must 'get to grips' with future spending on health and pensions .
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(CNN) -- The Newtown, Connecticut, public school district will receive a $1.3 million endowment from the U.S. Department of Education to help the community recover from the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced Friday in Hartford. The funding comes as a grant under the Project School Emergency Response to Violence program. The money is meant to support the school district's behavioral and academic recovery efforts, which include "counseling, wellness activities, and training programs designed to assist families and school staff heal after the trauma," according to a press release. "While we continue efforts to enact President Obama's comprehensive approach to make our schools and communities safer, we want to do whatever we can to support ongoing recovery efforts and ensure this community has the resources it needs to meet the needs of its teachers, students, and families," said Duncan. The announcement came during a forum the secretary attended with Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and other state officials to discuss education reform and school security with parents, students, and school officials. Malloy also announced a $5 million grant to local communities to help meet the expenses of additional school security, the first round of funding under the Competitive Grant Program, a part of the Gun Violence Prevention and Children's Safety Act, signed into law in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Two additional rounds of funding, both $5 million, are expected in the next year. A lone gunman opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School last December, killing 20 children and six educators before taking his own life.
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The grant will help support counseling and training programs .
A lone gunman opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School last December .
The gunman killied 20 children and six educators before taking his own life .
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Alton Nolen, the Muslim convert accused of beheading a female colleague in Oklahoma last week, has been charged with first-degree murder in the gruesome killing. Nolen, 30, was also charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon for the grisly attack at Vaughan Foods in Moore last Thursday, Cleveland County prosecutor Greg Mashburn said. The DA added that officials will likely pursue the death penalty in the case. Nolen was fired from his job on Thursday after Traci Johnson - a co-worker he later attacked - said she had had an altercation with Nolen 'about him not liking white people', Mashburn said. Nolen then allegedly returned home and fetched a knife and 'returned to get revenge', the prosecutor said. WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT . Charged: Alton Nolen, 30, (pictured left in an earlier mug shot and right) has been charged with first-degree murder in the beheading of a Vaughan Foods plant worker Colleen Hufford . The criminal complaint released today states that Nolen drove to his home 'for the sole reason to retrieve a large bladed knife'. He then went back to work 'with the large knife in his shoe, in order to assault an employee of the business with the knife.' He walked into the plant's administrative office and came across 54-year-old Colleen Hufford, whom he attacked from behind, severing her head. He then turned his attention to Johnson, 43, whom he cut across the left side of the face and also tried to behead. She survived. Nolen was eventually shot by the company's CEO Mark Vaughan but survived his wounds. The affidavit adds that he 'openly admitted to "beheading" the first victim with a knife and cutting and attempting to "behead" the second victim with the knife'. He faces two assault charges in relation to Johnson and Vaughan. Mashburn said it was 'highly likely' that he would seek the death penalty against Nolen, but would confer first with Hufford's family. While the FBI is investigating his links to Islam, and while he believed Nolen was using Arabic terms during the attack, Mashburn said the attack seemed to be tied more to the complaints against him. 'It had more to do with race rather than trying to convert people,' Mashburn said. He said there was a 'back and forth with Ms. Johnson and that led her to make a complaint to the HR department.' 'There was some sort of infatuation with beheadings. It seemed to be related to his interest in killing someone that way,' the prosecutor said. 'Other than that, it seemed to be related to his being suspended earlier in the day.' On Nolen's Facebook page, listed under the name Jah'Keem Yisrael, he posted photos of Osama bin Laden and Taliban fighters, along with posts condemning a variety of aspects of American life. Posts ranged from religious iconography to stock photography to even photos of supposed UFO activity. It also included a graphic photo of a beheading. Victims: Colleen Hufford, left, was killed in the attack, while Traci Johnson, right, was repeatedly stabbed . Convert: Nolen, who had recently converted to Islam, was 'infatuated' with beheadings, prosecutors said . Today the MailOnline visited the apartment where Nolen has been living alone for the past year. The rundown block called The Colonial Apartments is on the north side of Moore just a few miles from the Vaughan Foods factory. Neighbors said Nolen was ‘extremely quiet’ and rarely conversed with others in the low income neighborhood. Retired mechanic Fred Fletcher, 61, who lives underneath Nolen’s $450 a month rented unit, said the suspected killer ‘blanked’ him every time he said hello. ‘I tried to be friendly and said hi on at least three occasions, he didn’t even turn his head, he looked straight through me. ‘He moved in less than a year ago, but you never heard much from him, he went to work in his SUV and came home, he never had any visitors, he was a loner. A maintenance man at the block said Nolen behaved ‘oddly’ after he tried to enter his apartment to fix a broken air-conditioning unit. The man, who would only give his name as Dwayne, said Nolen refused to let him in unaccompanied as if he were 'hiding something'. Dwayne said: 'His air-con needed unclogging and he wouldn't let me have access, it felt like he was trying to hide something. He wouldn’t let me in without him being there. 'He wrote in the book in the manager’s office that it was because of "religious reasons", because he's a Muslim. 'I thought it was odd as I've done work in a lot of Muslim people’s homes and they have never had a problem. I got the impression he wanted his privacy.’ Dwayne said Nolen generally lived a solitary life and spent his time surfing the web on his laptop. Scene: The attack unfolded on Thursday at Vaughan Foods in Moore, from where Nolen had just been fired . He said Nolen’s apartment was ‘spotless’ when he was finally allowed access to do repairs. ‘He kept it very clean and tidy with everything in its place,’ said Dwayne. ‘The floors were clean, all the kitchen counter tops were clean, extremely neat, and he had cleaning products on top of the refrigerator. He asked you to take your shoes off before you entered. 'Alton didn’t own a TV, instead he had a mat on the floor where he would sit on his laptop. 'I didn’t see any Islamic pictures or material as you might expect, his walls were covered in peaceful photos of scenery, nothing radical. 'He even had flowers in a vase on the coffee table, it was a nice place.' Another neighbor Mildred Adair, 68, said Nolen was extremely friendly with her even helping her lift a heavy shopping cart up some steps and into her apartment. 'He was nice to me, he helped me with my shopping and on a few occasions,' the retiree said. 'I saw him at the laundry-mat and we spoke. He seemed nice, not someone capable of killing.' Nolen's family members have said that they were surprised to learn of his conversion and never spoke about Islam explicitly with them. 'I spoke to him once he was released, and when we spoke, there was nothing of the sort,' said Nolen's cousin, James Fulsom, from Fort Worth, Texas. 'I don't believe he was converted (to Islam) in prison.' As recently as February, Fulsom said that when he talked to Nolen there was no mention of his conversion. 'He was just talking about what he was going to start doing, how he was going to get his life on track, and was ready to be focused on his future,' Fulsom told the Associated Press. A spokesman for an Oklahoma City Islamic group said Nolen had attended services at a mosque where sermons were delivered condemning such attacks. 'In no way, shape or form did he represent Islam in this foolish act,' said Saad Mohammad, director of information for the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City. Good neighbor: While some residents living in the same apartment block as Nolen said he was 'odd', others said he was quiet, tidy and helpful . Heroic: Nolen's gruesome attack was stopped by CEO Mark Vaughan, pictured, who shot him with a rifle . He added that he remembers the suspect was 'a little weird'. 'He acted a little odd,' Mohammed said, though he added that Nolen's behavior never raised any 'red flags' since he began worshiping at one of the group's centers in May. Nolen's mother and sister posted a video message on Facebook over the weekend saying they were shocked and saddened by the allegations against him. 'My son was raised up in a loving home. My son was raised up believing in God,' his mother, Joyce Nolen, said in the video. 'Our hearts bleed right now because of what they're saying Alton has done.' Oklahoma prison records show Nolen was released from prison in March 2013 after serving two years of a six-year sentence on charges that included assaulting a police officer and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Nolen received no misconduct reports during his incarceration at five separate facilities, Department of Corrections spokesman Jerry Massie said. Nolen completed his probation in March of this year.
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Alton Nolen, 30, was charged with the murder of Colleen Hufford on Tuesday and officials will likely pursue the death penalty, the District Attorney said .
Nolen was fired from Vaughan Foods in Moore on Thursday after colleague Traci Johnson argued with him about him 'not liking white people'
He 'returned to his apartment to pick up a knife to seek revenge'
After re-entering the plant, he beheaded Hufford and repeatedly stabbed Johnson, who survived'
Nolen, who recently converted to Islam, 'was infatuated with beheadings', prosecutors said .
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A judge in Saudi Arabia has recommended that imprisoned blogger Raif Badawi go before a high court on a charge of apostasy, which would carry the death penalty upon conviction, according to Badawi's wife. Ensaf Haidar initially told CNN on Wednesday that her husband had been sentenced to death. She later clarified to CNN that a judge has recommended he be tried for denouncing Islam, or apostasy. Apostasy carries the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, according to Amnesty International. In July, a Jeddah criminal court found Badawi, who has been in prison since June 2012, guilty of insulting Islam through his Free Saudi Liberals website and in television comments. Badawi was sentenced to seven years in prison and 600 lashes. His lawyer appealed the decision. Badawi's legal troubles started shortly after he started the Free Saudi Liberals website in 2008. He was detained for one day and questioned about the site. Some clerics even branded him an unbeliever and apostate. Human rights groups accuse Saudi authorities of targeting activists through the courts and travel bans. Amnesty International has said Badawi's "is clear case of intimidation against him and others who seek to engage in open debates about the issues that Saudi Arabians face in their daily lives." CNN could not reach Saudi Arabian government officials for comment. Badawi's wife and the couple's three children now live in Lebanon. Rights group: Saudi activists calling for change face harassment, jail .
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Activist's wife had been hoping for a new court to reduce the sentence .
Raif Badawi has been in prison since June 2012 .
Apostasy carries a death sentence in Saudi Arabia .
Human rights groups say government is trying to intimidate activists .
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By . Peter Allen . PUBLISHED: . 06:24 EST, 19 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:38 EST, 20 May 2013 . The British father who has admitted to cutting the throats of his two young children was seen buying sweets, bread and drinks in a bakery with his son and daughter just hours before the double killing. Julian Stevenson, 48, was arrested on . Saturday after the bodies of son Mathew, 10, and daughter Carla, five, . were found in his apartment in a suburb of Lyon, eastern France. The shop owner, who asked not to be named, said: 'Mr Stevenson came into the shop on Saturday lunchtime with his two children. 'They seemed happy and he bought them sweets. There didn't appear to be anything wrong. He also bought a baguette. An unmarked police car containing Julian Stevenson arrives at court this afternoon . The balcony of the apartment where the bodies of Julian Stevenson's children Carla, five, and Mathew, 10, were discovered with their throats cut . Stevenson, who is involved in a bitter child custody battle, is due in court in Lyon today . The second-flat apartment in the Lyon suburb of Saint-Priest where the children were found . The flat is believed to have been where the family of four lived before the divorce . 'We see a lot of him here. He is friendly with my staff and always talks to the servers. 'I know hundreds of people, everybody comes here to buy their bread, but I remember Mr Stevenson because of his accent. 'This tragic incident has shocked everybody. He always appeared to be a good dad and a caring father.' Earlier on Saturday, Stevenson took . his family to a McDonald's restaurant close to his home, and the . children were seen in the play area. A manager at the fast food restaurant . said: 'The family were here on Saturday. The father came here with his . two children at about 11am. They stayed for about an hour.' The manager said detectives have . since visited the restaurant to question staff. 'The police were here . for three hours interviewing everyone,' she said. 'They took away CCTV footage as part of their investigation.' The 48-year-old is said to have carried out the double-murder in a fit of rage before fleeing on a pair of roller-skates. Yesterday . Stevenson had his head covered by a blue blanket as he was driven into . an underground car park beneath Lyon's main criminal court complex in an . unmarked police Renault Laguna. The hand-cuffed defendant sat next to a . plain-clothed detective in the back seat of the car, as armed officers . also sat in front. An accompanying patrol car had its blue lights . flashing. Stevenson was then led into a closed . hearing at the Tribunal de Grande Instance where the allegations against . him were formally read out. Police sealed the apartment after finding the bodies inside . 'Homicides' translates to 'murder scene' on the note attached to the apartment door . Prosecutors say they were 'not . currently' charging Mr Stevenson with premeditated murder, suggesting . that he may plead diminished responsibility. A judicial source said: 'We are presently holding back from the charge of premeditated murder but this could always change.' The source said all the circumstances surrounding the horrific crime would be investigated over many months. Neighbours of Stevenson said he . had appeared 'calm and relaxed' as he wandered around the St Priest . suburb of Lyon with the two children on Saturday morning. 'It was a warm day and he was in . T-shirt and long shorts,' said one. 'The children were smiling happily, . and appeared to be enjoying a day out with their dad. 'He was buying them little presents, including sweets, and did not appear in the least bit flustered.' Stephanies, Stevenson's French . ex-wife, had handed over the children on Friday evening, and they spent a . night in the old family home in Saint-Priest, around three miles from . the city centre. This was despite Stevenson being a . heavy drinker, and having been violent towards his wife before their . divorce up to three years ago. When Mrs Stevenson, an accountant's . assistant also in her 40s, returned to pick up the children from the . second floor apartment at around 5pm on Saturday she saw Stevenson . looking 'panicked and angry', according to a neighbour. French suburb: The children's bodies were found in a flat in Saint Priest, to the south east of Lyon . 'He was in the stairwell of the block, . and his clothes were covered in blood,' said the neighbour. 'He made . off on a pair of roller-skates, leaving his car in the apartment block's . garage.' Following a short manhunt, Stevenson was found in Lyon's 8th arrondissement at around 8pm on the same evening. A judicial source said that a knife which was thought to be the murder weapon had been found in the flat. The source said the double murder was . 'clearly linked to a painful separation' and 'legal procedures . concerning the right to access to the children which the father deemed . insufficient.' In 2010, Stevenson had attacked his then wife, leading to these rights of access being withdrawn. This was the first weekend since then . that Stevenson had been allowed to have the boy and girl with him . without an adult third party. The Lyon prosecuting source said Stevenson 'admitted being the murderer' but 'did not give many more details.' Stevenson has been living in France . for 10 years and married in 2005. His wife was finally heard by . prosecutors on Sunday, providing them with their details of her troubled . relationship with her ex-husband. Investigators were particularly keen to know who gave the father legal authority to look after the children. Ahmed Benguedda, a former neighbour of the couple said the couple had divorced 'two or three years ago.' Stevenson, who is unemployed, had . drinking problems and was violent towards his wife, Mr Benguedda, who . still lives locally, confirmed. She won custody of the children . following the divorce and went to live in the Isere region of France, . which is just to the south east of Lyon and an easy drive or train . journey away. Mr Benguedda said the children were . 'well-balanced' and often played with his seven-year-old daughter. 'The . people who live here are all in a state of shock,' he added. A Foreign Office spokesman said the . matter was being investigated. 'We are aware of the reports and we are . urgently looking into them,' said a spokesman. The two children were found dead in Lyon, France (stock photo) Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
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Julian Stevenson, 47, arrested after bodies of children found in apartment .
Mathew, 10, and Carla, five, were found with their throats slit in Lyon flat .
Father seen taking children to McDonalds and to sweet shop before killing .
Police alerted by mother and later arrested father on suspicion of murder .
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By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 18:02 EST, 27 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:03 EST, 28 March 2012 . Happy ending: Just one week after her wedding Ria Scarr was forced to lie in a hospital bed which was tilted at a 45 degree angle to save baby Amelia . A bride swapped her exotic honeymoon for a stay in a hospital bed, with her legs elevated above her head, in a desperate bid to save her unborn baby. Ria Scarr, 26, suffers from a weak cervix - which means it can not support the weight of a foetus - after suffering two miscarriages. Just one week after her wedding to long . term partner David Scarr, she was forced to lie in a hospital bed which . was tilted at a 45 degree angle – with her feet above her head – to . reduce the pressure on her womb. Ultrasound scans at five months showed the baby had dropped so far down it was just a few inches from the top of her cervix. Under the supervision of Professor Siobhan Quenby, one of the world's leading experts in recurrent miscarriages, Mrs Scarr spent 24-hours-a-day in the bed at University Hospital in Coventry for six weeks, only getting out to go to the toilet. She had to eat, read and watch television while lying virtually upside-down. Mrs Scarr, a youth worker from Whitley, Coventry, said: 'I had to lie down with the bed tilted so my head was lower down than the rest of my body, basically my legs had to be raised higher than my head. 'I was allowed to walk to the toilet quickly but that was it. Thinking back now I really don't know how I did it. 'I think it was just knowing what the end result was going to be really. Wedding day worry: The couple had planned to spend a fortnight's honeymoon in Egypt sipping cocktails but just one week after she married her boyfriend of four years she was left confined to a hospital bed while doctors monitored her closely . Labour of love: Mrs Scarr, a youth worker from Whitley, Coventry, had to eat, read and watch television while lying virtually upside-down . Determination: Mrs Scarr tragically lost two babies after going into early labour so was determined to save her unborn child when she fell pregnant again last May . 'I watched a lot of DVDs over and over again, especially the 'Twilight' series. 'I probably watched all of the three films 10 times each. 'David visited every day after work and our parents brought me food because the hospital stuff was horrible. 'It was hell but it was worth it in the end.' Mrs Scarr, tragically lost two babies after going into early labour so was . determined to save her unborn child when she fell pregnant again last . May. On August 26 – 22 weeks into the pregnancy - Mrs Scarr, married David, 29, a delivery driver. The . couple had planned to spend a fortnight’s honeymoon lying on a beach in . Egypt sipping cocktails but just one week after she married her . boyfriend of four years she was left confined to a hospital bed while . doctors monitored her closely. Mrs Scarr, added: 'When I fell pregnant again I was completely shocked and . anxious. Because of what happened before, my first thought was not . excitement like with most women, I was anxious about what was going to . happen. 'Even on our wedding day I was worrying what if it happens today and I have another early labour. 'I . had my first dance and then I had to sit down for the rest of the night . while everyone else got drunk around me. I don't think I saw David all . night.' Struggle: After six weeks in hospital she returned home where she was forced to lie with her legs raised on the sofa. And on December 22 she went into labour at 37 weeks and gave birth to baby Amelia, weighing 5lbs and 15ozs . Dedication: Ria's husband, David visited every day after work. 'Our parents brought me food because the hospital stuff was horrible. It was hell but it was worth it in the end, said Mrs Scarr . After six weeks in hospital she returned home where she was forced to lie with her legs raised on the sofa. And on December 22 she went into labour at 37 weeks and gave birth to baby Amelia, weighing 5lbs and 15ozs. The birth went so smoothly the couple were able to take their healthy newborn baby home on Christmas Eve. Prof . Quenby said: 'Ria stayed lying head down and moved very little. Everyone involved in her care is absolutely thrilled that Ria was able . to go up to her due date to have Amelia and that they are both doing so . well. Baby Amelia has suffered no health . problems because of the complicated pregnancy and the delighted mum . says the successful birth means she won't rule out the chance trying . again . 'The benefit of bed rest is that it prevents the cervix opening too early and stops the membranes moving down the cervix where they can easily rupture leading to very early delivery and heartbreak for the family.' Baby Amelia has suffered no health problems because of Mrs Scarr's complicated pregnancy and the delighted mum says the successful birth means she won't rule out the chance trying again. Mrs Scarr added: 'I definitely would like to have another child but I would need to find out if I would have to go through it all again.'
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Couple had planned to spend a .
fortnight’s honeymoon lying on a beach in Egypt sipping cocktails, but she was left .
confined to a hospital bed .
Ria Scarr, 26, suffers from a weak .
cervix after suffering two miscarriages .
Had to eat, read and watch television while lying virtually upside-down .
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(CNN) -- Joseph Maraachli, the infant whose family refused to accept a recommendation by a Canadian hospital to remove the boy's breathing tube and allow him to die, is now breathing on his own without the aid of a mechanical ventilator. The family flew back to their home in Windsor, Ontario, on Thursday, one month after receiving a tracheotomy at a children's hospital in St. Louis. "By providing him with this common palliative procedure, we've given Joseph the chance to go home and be with his family after spending so much of his young life in the hospital." said Dr. Robert Wilmott, chief of pediatrics for SSM Cardinal Glennon. The 15-month-old, widely known in the media as "Baby Joseph," became the center of an international end-of-life debate when a London, Ontario hospital where he was receiving care for a progressive neurological disease refused to insert a tracheotomy, a surgical procedure in which an opening is made into the airway through an incision in the neck and allows for suction of fluid out of the lungs. In court papers, doctors in Canada said there was no hope for recovery. They would not perform a tracheotomy because they considered it to be invasive and not recommended for patients who require a long-term breathing machine. The family refused to accept the recommendation. The Maraachlis' daughter, Zeina, had died at home in 2002 with a tracheotomy after suffering similar complications, and the family wanted to offer the same care to their son. The Maraachli case caught the attention of the group Priests for Life, which funded Joseph's transfer and treatment at the SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center. That hospital deemed the procedure medically appropriate and Baby Joseph underwent a tracheotomy there on March 21. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, said he considers this a "victory over the culture of death." He says "[Joseph] has gained benefit from his tracheotomy, is breathing on his own, and is going home to live with his parents." Priests for Life is a Catholic pro-life organization which functions as a network to prevent abortion and euthanasia. They are often noted for the graphic images depicting abortion they use to make their case. The London Health Sciences Centre -- the hospital where Maraachli was initially treated -- responded on March 23 that "there are clearly differences in the approach of these centres to the management of end-of-life care in this tragic situation" and that "the medical judgments made by LHSC physicians remain unchallenged by any credible medical source." On Thursday, the hospital said it "has no new comments from those already provided in our previous media statements." After arriving in Canada on Thursday morning, the child was examined by a team of physicians at the Windsor Regional Hospital to ensure no complications or infections resulted from the flight. According to the hospital's president and CEO, David Musyj, the Maraachlis are prepared to take care of their son, but they also will be provided round-the-clock nursing care in their home. A team of community care nurses will alternate shifts staying with the family. They will take the lead on daily requirements, to include cleaning the trach, tube feeding and administering anti-anxiety medications. The nurses will also monitor his heart rate, suction secretions that build up in his lungs and provide oxygen as needed. According to Musyj, the 24-hour nursing care, medications and all the equipment are provided free of charge under Canada's universal health care system. In the United States, hospice care is underutilized even though it tends to be less expensive than hospitalization and provides more comfort to the patient. Estimates find approximately 60% of all deaths occur in the hospital, yet most patients express a preference to die at home. It is unclear at this point just how much time the Maraachlis have left with their son. In a phone conversation, Pavone said Joseph's symptoms are much more benign than those suffered by his sister. "It's really an unpredictable condition," he said. "Our mission to save Baby Joseph was never based on any prediction of the future, but rather on the value of his life here and now."
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Joseph Maraachli suffers from a progressive neurological disease .
A hospital in London, Ontarario refused to insert a tracheotomy tube .
In March his parents took him to St. Louis, helped by an anti-euthenasia group .
He received a tracheotomy at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center .
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(CNN) -- A grand jury has brought felony charges against three Dallas, Texas, police officers who were caught on patrol car dashboard cameras beating a motorcyclist after a chase, prosecutors said Thursday. Officers Paul Bauer and Kevin Randolph were charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon by a public servant, a charge that carries a five-year minimum prison term, in the September 5 beating of motorcyclist Andrew Collins. A third officer, Henry Duetsch, was charged with third-degree felony of tampering with physical evidence, said Jamille Bradfield, a spokeswoman for the Dallas County district attorney's office. Bauer was also charged with assault and with official oppression, both misdemeanors. Randolph -- who was fired for failing probation after the incident -- was charged with official oppression and tampering with a governmental record, another felony. There was no immediate response to the charges from the three defendants. Prosecutors say Bauer and Randolph spotted Collins sitting on his motorcycle on a sidewalk the night of September 5. He drove off when the officers shined a spotlight on him, and they began pursuing him. An internal investigation found that Bauer and Randolph disregarded an order to stop the chase, with one of the officers saying, "Keep us going. I'm going to kick the s--- out of him." Collins eventually stopped, and when the officers spotted him, Bauer struck the bike with his patrol car. Randolph beat Collins with his baton after Collins dropped to all fours, and Bauer began hitting and kicking him, police said. And Duetsch, who arrived on the scene after Collins had stopped, turned another cruiser's dashboard camera away from the scene when he arrived. Three other officers were put on restricted duty after the beating. They were seen on the second video also having contact with Collins, but they are not clearly seen because Duetsch had turned the camera away from the beating, Dallas Police Chief David Brown said earlier this month. In a statement issued after the indictments, Brown said the charges are "another step in the process of bringing this incident to a conclusion." "As chief of police, I will ensure that every citizen of this city is treated with a deserved measure of respect by our officers," he said. Collins suffered bruises in the incident, developed blood clots and complained of pain. He initially was charged with three traffic warrants, evading arrest, resisting arrest, and possession of marijuana after his arrest. After seeing the video, police dropped the resisting arrest charge.
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The charges stem from the September 5 beating of a motorcyclist .
Total of three officers charged in connection with the incident .
Dallas police chief says indictments bring incident closer to a conclusion .
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Orbital Sciences says it will 'likely' stop using the type of engines that were employed when its unmanned Antares commercial supply rocket bound for the International Space Station exploded moments after liftoff last week. The company says its investigation of the crash is continuing, but preliminary results point to a failure in one of its two main engines involved in the first stage of launch. 'As a result, the use of these engines for the Antares vehicle likely will be discontinued,' it said. The Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft onboard, explodes moments Preliminary results from the investigation point to a failure in one of its two main engines . The Antares rocket was due to launch an unmanned Orbital-3 Cygnus spacecraft to deliver more than 5,000lbs of supplies to the International Space Station - including science experiments, experiment hardware, spare parts, and crew provisions - as part of a $1.9billion deal with NASA. Outfitted with a new, more powerful upper-stage engine, the Antares rocket was packed with 5,055 pounds (2,293 kg) of supplies, science experiments and equipment, a 15 percent increase over previous missions. Orbital says it still plans to fulfill its contract with NASA to deliver all remaining cargo to the Space Station by the end of 2016. 'Orbital is taking decisive action to fulfill our commitments to NASA in support of safe and productive operations of the Space Station,' David Thompson, Orbital's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said. 'While last week's Antares failure was very disappointing to all of us, the company is already implementing a contingency plan to overcome this setback. 'We intend to move forward safely but also expeditiously to put our CRS cargo program back on track and to accelerate the introduction of our upgraded Antares rocket.' The engines involved are liquid oxygen and kerosene-fueled AJ26 engines made by Aerojet Rocketdyne. The engines were originally designed and produced during the Soviet era in Russia, though modifications have been made. On its website, Orbital said each AJ26 engine was sent from the Aerojet Rocketdyne facility in Sacramento, California, to the NASA/Stennis Space Center in Mississippi for hot fire acceptance testing, prior to heading to the Wallops Island, Virginia, launch site. The investigation is focusing on fact the Antares rocket that blew up on the launchpad on its way to the International Space Station last night was using a 40-year-old Russian engine of a similar design to those used during the Soviets' disastrous attempts to beat America to the moon in the 1960s, it has emerged. Old technology: The engines in question are of a similar design to those used to power Russia's ill-fated N1 series rockets which the Soviets hoped to use to beat America to the moon in the 1960s . Dulles-based Orbital Sciences, which has a $1.9 billion contract to make eight supply missions to the international space station, purchased a number of the engines which had been mothballed by Russia in the 1970s, the Washington Post reports. 'They were in fact built in Russia about 40 years ago and stored in plastic bags after their Moon program was cancelled,' Jonathan McDowell, of the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told NPR. Earlier incarnations of the engines had been designed to power Russia's enormous N1 rockets into orbit - however all four launches of the N1, which took place between 1969 and 1972, failed, leading the Soviet space programme to abandon attempts to put a cosmonaut on the moon. However, the Russian maker of the engine denied its product was at fault for the catastrophe. The Kuznetsov company in the Russian city of Samara suggested that modifications carried out in the US could be to blame, the Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported. 'Due to certain specifics, it's not possible to talk about the construction details of the rocket itself and the interaction of its systems during launch, since this is the field of American specialists,' Kuznetsov's press service said, according the The Guardian. 'However, it's important to note that during yesterday's launch, the AJ-26 first-stage engines, which are a modification of the NK-33, were functioning normally.' 'While the work of the AIB continues, preliminary evidence and analysis conducted to date points to a probable turbopump-related failure in one of the two Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ26 stage one main engines,' Orbital said. Dulles-based Orbital Sciences, which has a $1.9 billion contract to make eight supply missions to the international space station, purchased a number of the engines which had been mothballed by Russia in the 1970s, the Washington Post reports. 'They were in fact built in Russia about 40 years ago and stored in plastic bags after their Moon program was cancelled,' Jonathan McDowell, of the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told NPR. Earlier incarnations of the engines had been designed to power Russia's enormous N1 rockets into orbit - however all four launches of the N1, which took place between 1969 and 1972, failed, leading the Soviet space programme to abandon attempts to put a cosmonaut on the moon. Conditions for the launch were perfect - but as it left the launchpad, the rocket appeared to explode. However, the Russian maker of the engine denied its product was at fault for the catastrophe. The Kuznetsov company in the Russian city of Samara suggested that modifications carried out in the US could be to blame, the Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported. 'Due to certain specifics, it's not possible to talk about the construction details of the rocket itself and the interaction of its systems during launch, since this is the field of American specialists,' Kuznetsov's press service said, according the The Guardian. It will introduce an already-planned upgrade to the Antares propulsion system early in 2016. Orbital Sciences Corp., based in Dulles, Virginia, says there will be no cost increase for NASA and it doesn't expect costs related to the accident to be material for Orbital in 2015. Shares of Orbital Sciences rose $1.06, or 4.2 percent, to $26.18 in morning trading Wednesday. 'However, it's important to note that during yesterday's launch, the AJ-26 first-stage engines, which are a modification of the NK-33, were functioning normally.'
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Preliminary results point to a failure in one of its two main engines .
Engines were built 40 years ago in Russia .
Orbital says it still plans to fulfill its contract with NASA to deliver all remaining cargo to the Space Station by the end of 2016 .
Will introduce already-planned upgrade early in 2016 .
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This picture shows the aftermath of a drink-driver who ploughed into the side of a police car and narrowly missed two officers while they were out on patrol. The two policemen had a lucky escape when a Volkswagen Golf crashed into their car in Dudley, West Midlands in the early hours of Saturday morning. The car was hit with such force the doors were wrenched off. Amazingly, one policeman managed to limp from the wreckage to arrest the suspect. A drink-driver smashed in this police car, causing both doors to be wrenched off. One officer was trapped inside the vehicle but the other managed to escape and arrest the 44-year-old male driver . The second policeman was trapped in the passenger seat at the scene - but was later freed with the help of firefighters. Both officers were taken to hospital for treatment but neither man's injuries are believed to be serious. West Midlands Police confirmed the 44-year-old driver of the other vehicle was held on suspicion of drink driving. The suspect, from Dudley, has since been released on police bail pending further enquires. The force has also released a picture showing the mangled wreckage of the squad car in the aftermath of the crash - which happened at around 2.40am. The man was driving in a Volkswagen Golf (library image). Police confirmed the 44-year-old was held on suspicion of drink driving, but was released on police bail . Today, Chief Inspector Jack Hadley, West Midland Police's force incident manager, said: 'Both officers were extremely lucky not to suffer more serious injuries. 'They were on a routine patrol when the collision happened. The driver of the other car had lost control of his vehicle and the end result could have been far worse. 'I want to remind everyone to think carefully before getting behind the wheel this weekend - there is absolutely no excuse for driving while drunk. 'If you're planning a night out over the bank holiday weekend think about how you're going to get back and leave your car at home.'
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Drink-driver ploughed into a police car in Dudley, West Midlands .
Car was being driven by two officers on Saturday morning patrol .
One was trapped inside car in smash - with the other managing to escape .
44-year-old male driver was arrested by the officer at the scene .
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(CNN) -- "My body belongs to me and is not the source of anyone's honor." The words of Tunisian activist Amina Ahmed, scrawled across her naked chest in Arabic and posted on Femen's Facebook page are true, and right. Women should have the choice to dress how they want, when they want, without fear of reprisal and safe from harm. As too many women in all corners of the can attest, this is not the reality. From war to politics to art, shock tactics can be useful, powerful tools. They force the opposed to take notice, to hopefully retreat, to surrender their advantage. In the arena of human and women's rights, they are a staple -- from the burning of draft cards during the anti-Vietnam war protests of the 1960s to bra burning (myth or no) to Mohamed Bouazizi, the street vendor who set himself on fire and inadvertently roused the Tunisian Revolution -- shock tactics can, and do work. They work across cultures too: I first learned of the Women's War which took place in eastern Nigeria in 1929 (an anti-taxation and anti-colonialist protest which ended with reports of up to 100 Igbo casualties), when I was at school in Lagos. I learned that some of these women stripped naked to make their case -- an admirably thought out and executed case of naked protest, in a non-Western culture, from more than 80 years ago. It was effective, too-- administrative reforms were carried out, bringing an end to the Warrant Chief system (introduced by British colonialists) and women were appointed in local courts. So my issue with Femen, and any other such organizations, is less to do with the mode of protest, and more the gaze and rhetoric behind it. Femen purports to know, in an almost patriarchal way, what is "best" for these poor, oppressed women in Africa and the Middle East. Their problem is religion, and their naked protest is there to "help" free them from the "tyranny" therein. Yes -- there are huge chasms between the rights of men and women all over the world, and perhaps more visibly in these communities. But there are also women (and men) in those communities working to remedy this, using different tools, (some more blunt than others) and in all likelihood just as effective or even I would argue, more so, than Femen's methods. Read more: Why topless protesters will hound Islamic leaders . I am Nigerian-British and a Muslim, now living in the geographical West. I know that my experiences do not match that of a woman my age in a small town in Mali, or Pakistan. I don't wear a hijab; never have done, unlikely ever to. I don't care one way or another about the hijab, but I do care about choice. In electing not to wear a headscarf, I have exercised that right, and not all of the women who wear scarves have the luxury of that choice. But there are also millions of women who choose, very happily and deliberately, to wear the hijab. Is it "liberating" to ban the hijab for these women? Femen's intent may be honorable, but the implementation seems wrong-headed to me. A lot of us in brown and black bodies have become used to the neo-colonial lens through which the rest of the world views us. We are there to be "helped", to be "liberated". There exists a powerful and deliberate narrative around Africa and the Middle East: "we must go there and free them!" If you are only viewing people as hapless, helpless children -- which is how I see a lot of Femen's rhetoric as applied to Africa and the Middle East -- you rob them of agency. It is not up to Femen to go and "free" these women. We cannot export tactics that simply don't work, in the name of sisterhood. Read more: Topless feminist protesters show what they're made of . What kind of sisterhood insists that an attitude of "this works here and will therefore work over there" is the way forward? Is there no nuance to be found, if the objective is to free women of the patriarchy that governs their lives? It is naive and somewhat foolish at best, and at worst dangerous and stupid. It is looking at a health problem and deciding that their prescription is the only drug that will clear up the rash, when locally sourced medicines may work just as well, if not better. At the very least, work with organizations already at the coalface day after day, collaborate with and listen to them. If the aim is genuinely to make a fairer society, not to merely impose benevolent condescension, it's a necessary step. The Femen message, with a core belief in self-determination and equality, unshackled from damaging patriarchy, is good and true. But their methods leave much to be desired. The opinions expressed in this commentary are soley those of Bim Adewunmi.
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Femen activists have used topless protest in a campaign against patriarchy .
Journalist Bim Adewunmi says the group's message of equality is good and true .
But she says treating women as "helpless" and "hapless" robs them of agency .
It is not up to Femen to "free" the women of the Middle East and Africa, Adewunmi says .
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By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 21:42 EST, 4 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:30 EST, 5 March 2013 . Thailand has vowed for the first time to take steps towards putting an end to the country's ivory trade, as wildlife groups warned the slaughter of elephants will continue until a ban is imposed. The country's domestic ivory trade is currently legal, but activists say smuggled African tusks are mixed in with native stocks, and that skyrocketing demand in Thailand is helping to fuel the worst poaching crisis in sub-Saharan Africa in 20 years. Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has pledged to tighten controls on the country's local tusk trade and to 'work towards' putting an end to the trade altogether, but failed to give a timeline for implementing a ban. Trade: A Thai woman examines two elephant tusks on display in the window of a Bangkok jewellery shop . Ms Yingluck made the pledge during the opening meeting of the 178-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Bangkok this week. She said her government would tighten controls on Thailand's local tusk trade by systematically registering domestic elephants and ivory products. Then, 'as a next step, we will work towards amending the national legislation with the goal of putting an end to (the) ivory trade and to be in line with international norms', she said. But there was no timeline and Theerapat Prayurasiddhi, deputy director of Thailand's department of parks and wildlife, said there were no immediate plans for a domestic ban. He said that could happen 'step by step in the future - maybe', but called it 'the long-term goal'. For now, the government will focus on boosting measures to tighten domestic trade controls and slow the flow of African ivory from entering Thai markets. Thai traders currently have the right to buy or sell ivory obtained legally from domesticated stocks, and Mr Theerapat said taking those rights away could be tantamount to the struggle to ban assault weapons in the United States. 'You cannot change everything overnight,' he said. 'It's going to take time.' Warning: Conservationists say Thailand's thriving ivory trade is helping to fuel illegal poaching in other countries including Africa . Asked how Thailand's legislation might be amended, he said there was a push to add African elephants to Thailand's own lists of protected species, a move that would allow authorities to impose higher fines and harsher jail terms on smugglers. Carlos Drews, head of the World Wildlife Fund's delegation to Cites, welcomed Ms Yingluck's pledge but said 'the fight to stop wildlife crime and shut down Thailand's ivory markets is not over'. 'The fight to stop wildlife crime and shut down Thailand's ivory markets is not over' Carlos Drews, World Wildlife Fund . Ms Yingluck 'now needs to provide a timeline for this ban and ensure that it takes place as a matter of urgency, because the slaughter of elephants continues', he said. Around 70 years ago, up to five million elephants are believed to have roamed sub-Saharan Africa. Today, just several hundred thousand are left. Last year, 32,000 elephants were killed on the continent, according to the Born Free Foundation, which says black-market ivory sells for around £865 per pound; much of it ends up as tourist trinkets. Thailand is one of the world's top destinations for smuggled ivory - second only to China, according to the wildlife monitoring network TRAFFIC. The group has called for Cites members to impose economic trade sanctions against Thailand, along with Nigeria and Congo, which would halt those nations' ability to trade in all 35,000 species regulated by the convention. Cites banned the international ivory trade in 1989. But the move never addressed domestic markets like Thailand's, where trading remains legal as long as only ivory from domesticated elephants is involved. Animals such as rhinos, tigers and orangutans will not be left in the wild in 30 years' time, more than half of Britons believe. The poll finding comes as the Government launches a new 'If They're Gone' campaign to highlight the threats to some of the world's highest-profile endangered species - rhinos, elephants, tigers and orangutans - and the action people can take to help them. Launching the campaign, involving more than 20 wildlife groups, zoos and safari parks, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said he did not want future generations to think of the four species in the same way he thought of the dodo. Under threat: More than half of Britons believe there will be no rhinos left in the wild in 30 years time . The survey of more than 1,700 people for the campaign found that 54% did not think those animals will be left in the wild in 30 years' time. The concern over the fate of species such as rhinos is mirrored by the experts, with Tusk Trust's chief executive Charlie Mayhew warning that this year one rhino has been lost to poachers every 11 hours, on average. He said: 'If this poaching continues to escalate, a species which has existed on this planet for 40 million years faces the very real prospect of extinction in our lifetime. 'We cannot be the generation that allows this to happen and Tusk is working hard to preserve all endangered species.' The Government's campaign comes as countries meet in Thailand for the latest meeting of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), where efforts to protect species such as rhinos, elephants and sharks are on the agenda. The Duke of Cambridge, royal patron of the Tusk Trust, has urged the conference to do more to protect rhinos and elephants from illegal killing for their ivory and horn, which has become extremely valuable for use in traditional Asian medicine. 'We cannot be the generation that allows this to happen' Charlie Mayhew, Tusk Trust chief executive . The UK Government is calling for countries attending the meeting to maintain the ban on ivory sales and to protect rhinos by bringing in stricter controls on the export and re-export of rhino horn. The campaign, launched today, also outlines how the public can help protect endangered species, urging them to think before they buy anything that could be made from or contain body parts of endangered species, ask where products have come from and get involved with wildlife conservation projects. Launching the campaign at the Cotswold Wildlife Park, Mr Paterson said: 'If They're Gone aims to raise awareness and encourage individuals to take action to protect four of the planet's most iconic species, rhinos, elephants, orangutans and tigers, from extinction. 'It's by working together that we show international leadership in the fight against the disastrous trade in wildlife and the devastating impact of deforestation.' He added: 'There are no medicinal benefits to traditional Asian medicines that contain animal parts and by turning your back on them you can help to protect these iconic animals.' Meanwhile, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust has gathered 40,000 signatures for a petition calling on Cites to implement a full ban on any trade in ivory to stop the poaching of African elephants. A recent report by conservation charity WWF warned that trafficking of wildlife products, from rhino horn to illegal timber, is one of the world's biggest trades, worth £12 billion a year, and is driving species towards extinction, funding war and damaging communities.
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Thai prime minister says country will 'work towards' imposing a ban .
Domestic ivory trade is currently legal in Thailand .
Activists say demand in Thailand fuelling poaching crisis in Africa .
Urged Yingluck Shinawatra to set a timeline for outlawing trade .
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By . Kieran Corcoran . Scampie the two-year-old white poodle got a nasty shock when he cocked his leg by a lamp post on his daily walk - and was hurled across the street metres by a blast of electricity. The pet was being walked through Swindon, Wiltshire, by his owner Ernest Reid, 68, when he was caught out by the faulty post. Scampie was thrown three metres by the force of the shock and had to be rescuing quivering from the street by his concerned owner, who feared his dog could have died in the accident. Zapped: Scampie the poodle, pictured, was hurled three metres after marking his territory on a lamppost in Swindon . Cautious: Since the shock, Owner Ernest Reid, 68, says Scampie is nervous on walks - and fears he could have died from the blast . Mr Reid, a retired electrical engineer, was walking his dog at around 10pm and says he remembers smelling burning - but did not make the connection that fried electrics in the lamp post could be to blame. He said: 'He was walking alongside me, like he always does. He stopped at the lamp post for a wee and then he let out a yelp. 'I turned around and as I did so I saw Scampie being thrown across the path and he landed on the grass about three metres away. 'At first I assumed he had sat on a hedgehog. We get quite a lot of them around here so I thought that is what had happened. 'But then I realised he had been electrocuted'. It is thought a burning moped had earlier been up against the pole, causing the electrical wires to fuse and short circuit. Mr Reid continued: 'He didn't appear to have any physical injuries - but he was shaking and squealing and he would not move from the grass. Hurled: The force of the shock threw Scampie three metres across the street . Walkies: Scampie near the offending lamppost in Swindon, with his owner Ernest Reid, 68 . 'When I shone the light onto the lamp post there was quite a lot of smoke and I could tell it had shorted. 'I took him to the vets and they said he was OK but I'm still a little worried so I am going to take him back for a check up. 'He's . only just starting to return to his normal self, his tail is wagging . and he is quite happy but he's still not as happy as he used to be and . he won't go near metal lamp posts any more. 'I thought the smell was just someone burning rubbish on the allotments. I should have known but I couldn't place it. 'I didn't know what the smell was until Scampie got the shock and I suddenly remembered it was an electrical short. Complaint: Mr Reid says he is yet to receive an apology for the council over how the lamppost was allowed to become electrified and dangerous . 'On our way back from the walk I shone a torch along the lamp-posts and there was smoke coming out of them. 'He . will only really walk on the side of the grass now. I reported it to . the local council but I still haven't heard a word back from them - let . alone an apology. 'If . I had leaned against the post. I could have been killed. I have angina . so I'm not sure I would have even been able to survive 240 volts through . my body. 'I will be sending the council my vets bills'. Scottish & Southern Energy said they were aware of the incident and had fixed the lamp post. A spokesman said: 'We were called shortly after midnight on May 17 by Swindon Council and we were advised that there had been an incident involving the electrocution of a dog. 'We responded within half an hour of the report and it was made safe'. Swindon Council has been contacted for comment.
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The two-year-old pet was electrocuted on a walk in Swindon, Wiltshire .
His owner Ernest Reid, 68, says he was hurled quivering across the path .
Mr Reid then saw plumes of smoke emerging from the damaged lamp post .
Scampie is now be nervous around lamp posts and walks on the grass .
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f5f1e29b3900c3fcb36563d26ded10954877308d
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By . Julian Robinson . Jordan Daniel Heslin had to ask staff to open the automatic door at Lloyds bank in Stanley, County Durham moments after trying to walk out with more than £2,000. He was jailed for two years at Teesside Crown Court . A bungling bank robber had to ask staff to open the door to let him out - and even apologised to the cashier before fleeing. Jordan Daniel Heslin’s escape plan did not start well when the automatic door failed to open and he was forced to return to the counter to ask: 'Can one of you let us out?' Durham Crown Court heard that the debt-ridden 22-year-old, who searched the internet at his local library for tips on how to rob banks, was seen pacing up and down the street outside the Lloyds bank on Front Street in Stanley, County Durham. He then entered with his hood pulled up and a scarf partially covering his face before handing a note to a female cashier. It read: 'I have a gun. Stay calm, I don’t want to hurt anyone. I need £6,000. Don’t put it in a bag. I’ll be out in a hurry. Sorry.' Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, said: 'Panicked and shaken, she didn’t know what to do next and shouted to a branch manager. 'She, in turn, looked at the note and glanced at the defendant who said: 'I’m sorry, I’m desperate.' The manager took some £10 and £20 notes from a drawer and showed them to Heslin, who told her: 'That’ll do.' When the door was opened, he left with £2,140 but the robbery was so low key other customers were unaware it had even taken place. However, closed-circuit footage was circulated which led to Heslin being quickly identified. The court heard his own grandmother recognised him. 'He fully admitted the offence and told police that having spent the previous morning in a JobCentre, he felt all he needed to make something of his life was some money, which is when he decided to rob a bank. 'He researched it at the library and felt he needed £6,000 to pay off his debts, which would leave some money for his children and £1,000 to start his new life. 'He then said he summoned up the courage to enter and approached the cashier.' He told police that he understood the fear he had caused the bank staff and felt sorry for them. Police arrived at the scene quickly and although a man was arrested shortly afterwards, he was released after offering an alibi. Heslin, of Edward Street, New Kyo, near Stanley, County Durham, was arrested at a friend’s flat in Gateshead early the next day, still with £1,703. He admitted a charge of robbery. Peter Walsh, mitigating, told the court: 'It was clear he was almost apologising to the bank staff involved, telling them: “I’m sorry” and “I’m desperate”. 'Even the manager who was present said she felt: “What a stupid lad. What have you done?” The view down Front Street in Stanley, where Jordan Heslin was seen pacing up and down the street outside Lloyds bank before the robbery . 'Her colleague said she did not want to think badly of him because of the way he came in. 'This illustrated the unique nature of how these offences were committed. 'Given the camera images it was only a matter of time before he was traced. 'When police found him he assisted an officer in retrieving the money.' Mr Walsh added that Heslin was ‘sick of being in debt’ and having previously worked full-time was only on a zero-hours contract at the time of the robbery. Jailing him for two years, Judge Neil Clark said: 'You walked into that bank and committed what appears to have been a somewhat apologetic robbery. 'But, what you chose to do was completely wrong. 'You were naive in the way you carried it out, but you were acting irrationally. 'Those in the bank did not know if there was a gun present or not. 'Although terrified, it’s clear neither probably thought you had a gun, but they couldn’t take the risk.'
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Jordan Heslin passed note to Lloyds bank cashier saying he had a gun .
The 22-year-old then asked staff for help after automatic door failed to open .
Researched how to rob a bank on internet at library in Stanley, County Durham .
Later revealed he needed £6,000 to pay off his debts but only left with £2,140 .
Judge jails him for two years and calls the robbery 'somewhat apologetic'
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(CNN) -- A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent was killed Saturday when he was struck by a car driven by a suspected narcotics smuggler, officials said. Luis Aguilar, 32, who was assigned to the Yuma, Arizona, border patrol station, died Saturday, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner W. Ralph Basham said in a statement. "Agent Aguilar's death serves as another stark reminder of the risks our front-line agents and officers face each day," Basham said. Aguilar was trying to place spike strips in the path of two vehicles believed to have illegally entered the country from Mexico when one of the vehicles hit him, agent Michael Bernacke, a spokesman for the agency's Yuma sector, told The Associated Press. Both vehicles drove back across the border into Mexico, the AP said. The fatal incident occurred in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area near Andrade, California, Basham said. Andrade is just over the California state line from Arizona. The area is popular with off-road vehicle enthusiasts but also is frequently used by smugglers carrying people or drugs, the AP said. Aguilar is survived by his wife and two children, along with his brother, who is also a border patrol agent, a Homeland Security Department statement said. "I am outraged by this tragic loss," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Saturday. "I have spoken to the Mexican ambassador, who gives me both his condolences and deep assurance that their government will be resolute in tracking down the perpetrators and bringing them to swift justice." Federal, state and local authorities are working with Mexican police and military authorities to apprehend the suspected killers, he said. E-mail to a friend .
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Officials: Luis Aguilar, 32, was placing spike strips to stop the smugglers .
Border agents believe two cars involved had entered the U.S. illegally .
The incident occurred over the California state line from Arizona .
Both vehicles drove back across the border and into Mexico .
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f5f249455ee0f8694309204033226e652e9b5d97
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New look: Strictly Come Dancing viewers were not keen on Claudia Winkleman's (left) new hairstyle . For years, her distinctive fringe and heavy eye make-up made Claudia Winkleman instantly recognisable as the presenter of the Strictly Come Dancing spin-off show It Takes Two. So it was hardly surprising that viewers were left reeling when the 42-year-old star appeared to have undergone a dramatic makeover in preparation for her new role on the main programme, replacing Sir Bruce Forsyth as co-presenter alongside Tess Daly. With a new shaggy hairstyle, and a hot pink top and skirt by designer Roland Mouret replacing her traditional black outfits, Claudia provoked a wave of criticism on social media, with some viewers describing her new look as ‘awful’ and others urging her to bring back her ‘sooty eyes and long fringe’. Some viewers even embarked on a Twitter campaign using the hashtag #BringBackClaudiasFringe. One wrote: ‘Claudia Winkleman looks like she’s wearing a towel and didn’t have chance to get ready.’ Another said: ‘Why the hell hasn’t Claudia Winkleman got her eye liner on? It’s the reason I love her!’ And one comment read: ‘Was it just me or did Claudia Winkleman look awful last night? She looked 10 years older.’ However, some welcomed the presenter’s change of appearance. One viewer wrote: ‘I loved Claudia Winkleman’s new look on #StrictlyComeDancing – nice to see her out of black, with less eye make-up and a shorter fringe.’ More than 5.8 million people tuned in on Friday to watch the first competitive show of this year’s series. Six couples took to the dance floor while the rest were performing last night. There is no public vote this week but the judges’ scores will be carried through to next week. In pole position on the leaderboard after Friday’s show was actor Jake Wood – best known for playing philanderer Max Branning in EastEnders – who scored 28 out of 40 for his jive to Good Golly Miss Molly with partner Janette Manrara. Having a ball: Winkleman seemed to be enjoying her new style alongside co-host Tess Daly . Back in black: Winkleman (left) with her signature fringe and black attire with Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly earlier this month .
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Claudia Winkleman ditched her trademark fringe and heavy eye make-up .
But Strictly viewers were not keen on the new look and took to Twitter .
They urged her to bring back her ‘sooty eyes and long fringe'
One social media user commented to say she looked 'awful'
Winkleman has replaced Bruce Forsyth as Tess Daly's co-host .
More than 5.8 million people tuned in on Friday to watch the first competitive show of this year’s series .
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f5f29d719cb2df365d5d40e50b8d81089a7c476b
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Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- At least five people were killed and 39 wounded when a car bomb exploded Monday in Basra, an Interior Ministry official said, capping a day in which at least 11 people were killed in blasts in cities with Shiite shrines. In Baghdad, two mortars or rockets struck the International Zone shortly before 8 p.m., though there were no reports of casualties. Car bombings targeting religious pilgrims in two major Shiite cities in Iraq killed 11 people Monday, an Interior Ministry official said. On a crowded street in the Iraqi city of Karbala a blast killed at least 10 people and wounded 38 others, the official said. The bomb went off at one of the main entrances to the city where buses carrying Iranian pilgrims stop, the official said. In Najaf, at least one person was killed and 10 others wounded in a bombing, the official said. The parked car bomb targeted buses carrying Iranian pilgrims at the road leading to Najaf's old city. Najaf and Karbala, south of Baghdad, have seen increases in foreign pilgrims in the last two years after a drop in the daily widespread violence. Iran's Fars News Agency said that on any given day, about 1,500 pilgrims travel from neighboring Iran to visit Shiite shrines in Iraq, particularly in Najaf and Karbala. Elsewhere Monday, a roadside bomb detonated outside a busy restaurant in central Baghdad's Karrada district, wounding four people. The official said the bomb targeted a police patrol. Two of the wounded were police officers; the other two were civilians. Earlier Monday, a mortar round struck the International Zone, popularly known as the Green Zone, but did not cause damages or casualties. A day earlier, at least two rockets struck the area and on Saturday, three others struck the zone. The zone is a heavily fortified central Baghdad district housing the U.S. Embassy and Iraqi government offices.
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NEW: Car bomb kills 5 in Basra .
Blasts occur in Shiite cities of Karbala and Najaf .
Many of the victims are Iranian pilgrims, an official said .
And in Baghdad, a bomb wounds four people .
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f5f2c2c8bb19fa0a91f1baa640a278ee4266086e
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(CNN) -- Not your typical Valentine's Day release, "Die Hard"'s fifth is Hollywood's counterpunch to chocolates, roses and romance. It's an anti-date movie. Well, unless your date is also your dad. Bruce Willis has been playing John McClane, off and on, for a quarter century now, and while he shows no inclination of throwing in the towel, it's hard to see much future for the geriatric action film he and his former Planet Hollywood cronies are peddling these days with "The Expendables." "A Good Day to Die Hard" is a more lavish demolition derby than "Bullet to the Head" or "The Last Stand," but it's also more slavish in its adherence to a formula that's all but spent. No one's heart seems to be in it, they're just going through the motions. Why 'Die Hard' is the perfect Valentine's Day movie for guys . A New York cop who scarcely seems to spend any time in the Big Apple, McClane heads out to Moscow to bail out a deadbeat son, Jack, who I don't recall featuring in the earlier movies. Jai Courtney, from "Jack Reacher" and "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," is what they call "fresh meat" and a more conventional action hero than Justin Long was in McClane's last escapade. But on this evidence McClane junior hasn't inherited any of his father's charisma or wry wit. Mostly he just looks put out, understandable as screenwriter Skip Woods makes sure senior always has the last word. Not that any of Willis' wisecracks are anything to write home about. That trademark smirk is stretched pretty thin. It's only after Jack has bust out of his trial, dragging a political prisoner with him (Sebastian Koch) that John finds out his boy is with the CIA. By then the extraction is blown, and father and son have a rogue militia wing tearing up the streets gunning for them. This is male bonding with a capital "B," but comparisons with the reinvigorated 007 series only show how far behind "Die Hard" has fallen. A lengthy chase on the Moscow ring road throws entire fleets of Russian commuters under the proverbial bus, but still feels like an inferior copy of a similar sequence in "Skyfall," while director John Moore ("Max Payne") defaults to the ADD editing style that's only good for disguising how thinly-imagined this show really is. Even a climactic showdown in Chernobyl, a potentially fascinating location for any movie, proves a damp squib. Moore gives us an abandoned industrial plant at night, and any radiation barely even registers as a factor (the McClanes don't need hazmat suits; they're indestructible). If there's something crassly opportunistic about exploiting a real life disaster on the scale of Chernobyl for cheap thrills, that's part and parcel of the film's cynicism. There's always been an undercurrent of xenophobia in the "Die Hard" series, but this movie's crude insistence on a corrupt, morally bankrupt Russia betrays simple-minded nostalgia for those Cold War days when the Berlin Wall demarcated good and evil. Do I ask too much from an action film? If so it's only because I haven't forgotten how good the first "Die Hard" was (and still is). The producers keep throwing more money at the franchise, but in this case more is less. Less attention to character, coherence and suspense, the very qualities that made "Die Hard" stand out in the first place. "A Good Day to Die Hard"? A good time to call it a day.
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Bruce Willis is back for the latest installment in the "Die Hard" franchise .
The film finds his character traveling to Moscow to find his son .
Critic says it may be time to call it a day .
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f5f2cd7f06550d30bf8824058b6a0f212467be8c
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(CNN) -- A pea-sized seahorse, the world's longest insect, a "ghost slug" and the world's smallest snake were among the top 10 species discovered in 2008, a committee of scientists said Friday. A tiny seahorse and the world's longest insect were among the top 10 new species discovered in 2008. These unusual critters were among thousands of species found last year, many in remote or tropical regions of the planet, that hint at the breadth of the Earth's undiscovered biodiversity. "Most people do not realize just how incomplete our knowledge of Earth's species is," said Quentin Wheeler, director of the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University, which announced the top 10 new species list. "We are surrounded by such an exuberance of species diversity that we too often take it for granted," Wheeler added. The ASU institute and an international committee of taxonomists -- scientists devoted to species exploration and classification -- compile the top 10 list of new species each year. Also on the 2008 list are a caffeine-free coffee plant, a snail whose shell twists around four axes, a palm that flowers itself to death and microscopic bacteria that live in hairspray. See photos of the new species » . Here's the complete list: . 1. Pygmy seahorse: Classified by its Latin name, Hippocampus satomiae, this species measures about half an inch long and was found near Derawan Island off Kalimantan, Indonesia. 2. A plant that kills itself: Found in a small area of northwestern Madagascar, a rare genus of palm -- Tahina spectablilis -- produces huge, spectacular flowers and then dies and collapses. Fewer than 100 have been found. 3. Decaf, please: Known as Coffea charrieriana, this plant found in Cameroon is the first record of a caffeine-free coffee species from Central Africa. 4. Spray-on species: An extremophile bacteria, Microbacterium hatanonis, was discovered in hairspray by Japanese scientists. 5. A stick that moves: The world's longest insect, with a body length of 14 inches (22.3 inches including legs), Phobaeticus chani resembles a stick and was found in Borneo, Malaysia. 6. The Barbados Threadsnake: Leptotyphlops carlae measures only 4.1 inches long and is believed to be the world's smallest snake. 7. A pale "ghost slug": Selenochlamys ysbryda was a surprising find in the densely populated area of Cardiff, Wales. 8. A very limber snail: This unique species, Opisthostoma vermiculum, is found on a limestone hill in Malaysia and has a shell that twists around four axes. 9. Damsel in the deep blue sea: Chromis abyssus is a beautiful species of damselfish found in deep-reef habitat off the coast of Ngemelis Island, Palau. 10. Fossil mama: A fossilized fish, Materpiscis attenboroughi, is an extremely rare find from Western Australia and shows a mother giving birth 380 million years ago. Scientists are still classifying species found around the globe in 2008, so final data for that year are not available. But on Friday, the taxonomists issued a State of Observed Species report card that states 18,516 species new to science -- about half of them insects -- were discovered and described in 2007. The vast majority of the 18,516 species named in 2007 were invertebrate animals (75.6 percent), vascular plants (11.1 percent) and vertebrates (6.7 percent). The report was compiled by ASU's International Institute for Species Exploration in partnership with other scientists. "Charting the species of the world and their unique attributes are essential parts of understanding the history of life," Wheeler said. "It is in our own self-interest as we face the challenges of living on a rapidly changing planet." According to Wheeler, a new generation of tools is coming online that will vastly accelerate the rate at which humans can discover and describe species. The annual release of the top 10 new species list and State of Observed Species report commemorate the anniversary of the birth of Carolus Linnaeus, who initiated the modern system of plant and animal names and classifications. An estimated 1.8 million species have been described since Linnaeus initiated the modern systems for naming plants and animals in the 18th century. Scientists estimate that there are between 2 million and 100 million species on Earth, though most set the number closer to 10 million, according to ASU. "It is estimated that the approximately 1.8 million species named since 1758 represent no more than a fraction of the world's species," the report states. "Rapid environmental changes around the world highlight the urgent need to accelerate our exploration of Earth's species," the report says. "Millions of species -- the majority not yet known to science -- face an uncertain future. Among these species are keys to understanding the history of the origin and diversification of life on our planet."
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A committee of scientists named the top 10 species discovered in 2008 .
Among them are an Indonesian seahorse that measures about half an inch long .
The world's longest insect has a body length of 14 inches and resembles a stick .
A coffee plant from Cameroon is a rare caffeine-free coffee species .
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